I Promise You
by ShiragikuOokami
Summary: Fate pulled Rukia away from Toshiro. Now it has brought them together once again, but will Rukia accept the sudden intrusion in her life? However, when Rukia comes to realize her feelings, Death causes a tragic accident, pulling the two away, yet again.
1. Chapter 1

I Promise You

Chapter 1

DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN BLEACH, YOU CAN EVEN GOOGLE IT! TITE KUBO OWNS IT AND THAT'S NOT MY NAME SO THAT MEANS I DON'T OWN BLEACH! XD

It was a cool late spring day when Toshiro had taken hold of Rukia's hand and led her into the forest.

"Toshiro, where are we going?" Rukia asked as each tree with an array of pink shades swept past. The noise of chattering soon became faint as the pair retreated farther into the woods. Sunlight filtered through the tiny cracks of the petals above.

Toshiro chuckled, "You'll see."

It was just after their high school graduation and the two young adults were making their way to a clearing in the forest. Well, one was making his way, and the other was just following. The graduates were hosting a goodbye party, which, for personal reasons, Toshiro did not want to stay for.

Toshiro and Rukia carefully stepped into the clearing and the setting sun's rays wrapped around them. It took a moment for Rukia to comprehend the wonderful sight as Toshiro watched her face.

"Toshiro," Rukia exclaimed with dreamy eyes, "it's beautiful."

Seeing Rukia's expression made Toshiro drop whatever cold facade he had left, and let her warmth seep through his soul.

The small clearing was surrounded by trees with multiple shades of pink leaves. Leaves were also scattered all over the floor of the clearing, creating a pink sea for the carpet that was ever fluttering from the slight breeze.

Their fingers were still entwined when they sat down in the middle of the clearing. Rukia sat on her knees and Toshiro sat cross-legged. Pink petals rose up in a small clouds when they sat down. Rukia picked up one, and fingered it between her fingers, admiring its velvety texture.

Toshiro looked at the distracted Rukia from the corner of his eye. _She's so beautiful when she just relaxes._ He noted her sparkling amethyst eyes that could make any guy's knees turn to jelly and make them worship her.

Rukia turned her head to look at Toshiro and found that he was staring at her. "What? Do I have cake on my cheek?" Rukia put her hand up that was not holding Toshiro's hand to rub her cheek, but Toshiro gently grabbed that hand as well.

"Toshiro?" Rukia questioned with an arched brow.

Toshiro smiled a small smile before saying, "Rukia, I have something very important to tell you."

"Okay, go ahead," Rukia replied, returning the smile. A gentle breeze ruffled Rukia's hair as she waited to hear the important thing Toshiro wished to tell her.

The setting sun had disappeared and the early night took over the skies. Loud booms were heard and Rukia turned her head towards the sound. Fireworks were being shot into the air, blooming into neon colored flowers. Cheers from the crowds at the party could barely be heard by the two.

She was mesmerized by ever changing forms and colors of the fireworks as they were propelled into the air. Rukia's trance broke when she felt a slight tug on her hands. Staring at the beauty of the fireworks for a second longer, she turned to Toshiro.

Toshiro fidgeted and had a slight blush on his face as he stated, "Rukia, I promise you that I will never hurt you. I promise you that you'll be the only woman who can make my stomach flutter when you smile at me." Rukia blushed at this as Toshiro continued. "I promise you that I will stand by you no matter what happens, and lastly, I promise you that I will love you and only you forever."

Toshiro looked straight into Rukia's amethyst pools, "Please say you love me too."

"T-Toshiro, I," Toshiro nodded his head as a sign to go on, curiosity masked his face as he held in his breath. "I...I can't."

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><p>Please R&amp;R! I know that this chapter is really short, but I promise that the next chapter will be longer! CONSTRUCTIVE CRITISM IS <em>ALWAYS<em> WELCOME!


	2. Chapter 2

I Promise You

Chapter 2

Disclaimer: There is one reason why this is here; it is to disclaim any accusations of my owning Bleach. To be blunt...I DON'T OWN BLEACH! XD Thank you for your consideration.

Shadow Pain- I'm glad you liked it! Thank you for reviewing!

Denidene- I'm glad you liked it too! Thanks for reviewing!

Dirtyspots- Sorry, but it had to happen! Thank you for reviewing!

GRILLED CHICKEN- Okay, *poof* there, grilled chicken in the story. And thank you for your review.

SparklyColours- Thank you for reviewing! I'm excited to write out the rest of this story and let the plot unfold.

Real People- I will! Thanks for reviewing!

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><p>"Eh, Rukia-chan! Rukia snap out of it!" demanded a worried feminine voice.<p>

Rukia shook her head and blinked a couple of times, her eyes finally focusing on the orange-haired girl in front of her.

"O-Orihime?" asked a confused Rukia.

"Come on Rukia, we don't want to be late for work!" Orihime said as she dragged her friend out of the limo they were riding in.

_Ughhh, I've been thinking about that memory more often now, what's wrong with me?_ thought Rukia.

Orihime and Rukia walked into a large building known as the Kuchiki Enterprise. Rukia had worked her way up and was currently holding the position as assistant manager on the 14th floor. Orihime was a coworker of Rukia.

They hurriedly ran to the elevator, which almost closed on them, and Orihime punched in the numbers to their floor. The elevator music was an instrumental version of Halo. The side walls of the elevator were striped brown and tan and the back wall was a mirror. The floor consisted of tan tiles and the elevator buttons glowed yellow.

"Rukia-chan?" asked Orihime with worried eyes.

"Yes, Orihime?" Rukia answered.

"Are you alright? Lately you've been out of it," stated Orihime.

"Of course I'm alright! I'm just tired," replied Rukia, giving Orihime her famous Kuchiki smile.

Orihime smiled back and then the elevators opened.

"Come on," Rukia said as both girls stepped out of the elevator.

"See you at lunch!" Orihime called before heading towards her cubicle.

"Okay, bye!" replied Rukia, waving at her friend.

Rukia quickly took out her Blackberry to checkout today's schedule.

"Yes! No meetings today! Let's see, I'll just file those re-" Rukia began.

"Rukia!"

Rukia found herself in a bear hug and was being swung from side to side.

"Ran-giku, I...can't...breathe!" Rukia managed to squeak out.

"Oh, sorry!" apologized Rangiku as she pulled away. "I keep forgetting...But anyways, guess what!"

Rukia took a second to take deep breaths before saying, "What?"

"My husband is coming to back home from work, isn't that just great?" Rangiku asked.

Rangiku and her husband had been separated due to their jobs. One would be on one side of Japan and the other would be elsewhere. They were always happy when they got placed in the same area.

"It is! That's good for you," agreed Rukia as she continued on her way to her office.

"I have more good news!" continued Rangiku with a wide smile.

"Okay, and the good news is?" asked Rukia, turning to face one of her best friends.

"I'm having a party to celebrate and you must come!" gushed Rangiku.

"Well, sure, I'll come-" Rukia was cut off when she felt arms encircle her waist from behind.

"Hello Rukia," greeted a deep voice.

Rangiku winked at Rukia, "I'll leave you two alone."

Rukia smiled gratefully before turning around in the arms that encircled her waist.

"Hey Carrot-top," Rukia greeted back.

"Eh? Are you still going to call me that? Even after we've become an item?" asked Ichigo.

"Of course my little Carrot-top!" Rukia said in a sweet voice. She tip-toed and ruffled Ichigo's hair. "Okay now, don't you have some work to attend to?"

Ichigo put a hand behind his head. "Well yeah I do," he turned to look Rukia in the eyes, "but I'd rather spend my time with you."

Rukia smiled, "I would too, but you better get to work Mr. Mananger!" She stuck out her tongue at him in a playful way before entering her office.

Before her door shut, she heard, "Oi, Rukia!"

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><p>"Hitsugaya-san, we're about to land," reminded a female voice.<p>

Toshiro looked at his secretary, Momo Hinamori. "Thanks, I hope this business trip isn't asking too much of you."

"No, it's fine, I'm actually honored that you wanted me to come along," Hinamori said while waving her hands in a "no" motion.

Toshiro looked back out the window. The clouds lazily flowed by, and it looked like a sunny day in a snowy wonderland. His eyes were half shut, deep in thought.

_Rukia, will I see you again? Will you want to see me again? I want to see you again._

"Grilled chicken," murmured Hinamori.

"Grilled chicken? Hinamori-san?" Toshiro asked with a confused look.

Hinamori's eyes widened and she turned to Toshiro. "Oh, sorry, I just suddenly thought about grilled chicken."

Toshiro gave a small smile, shaking his head.

"Please all passengers are to remain seated with their seatbelts on, for the plane is about to begin its descent. All purses and small bags should be placed under the chair in front of you. Thank you for flying with Kisuke Airlines," announced the flight attendant.

Hinamori tapped his hand, "You better get ready." She leaned closer to Toshiro's ear, "I'm sure some of your fan clubs are waiting for your arrival."

Toshiro groaned, "Don't remind me."

The pair stepped out of the plane and walked into the airport.

"Ne, Hitsugaya-san, where's Ichimaru-san?" Hinamori asked.

As if on cue, Gin came up from behind and greeted, "How's teh lovely couple?"

Hinamori scowled, "For the last time, we are not a couple!"

"What Hinamori said," agreed Toshiro.

They both glared at Gin who just shrugged and continued to walk towards the "Pick up Baggage," area.

"SHIRO-CHAN!"

"TOSHIRO-KUN!"

"HITSUGAYA-SAMA!"

Toshiro cringed at the high-pitched voices. He looked over his shoulder to see a swarm of girls heading his way.

_Damn it, how did they know I was here?_ Toshiro thought with a frown.

Hinamori quickly took action, "Ichimaru-san get the luggage, I'll try my best to distract these girls."

"Right, right," replied Gin before taking off.

"Ne, Hitsugaya-san, go get the car okay," Hinamori said before stepping in front of Toshiro.

"Yeah sure," Toshiro replied and quickly left with his hand in his pocket.

"STOP!" demanded Hinamori.

Toshiro's fan club stopped a few feet away from Hinamori.

A girl with long red hair, who looked to be the leader, asked, "Where is our Shiro-chan?"

"Yeah, where did he go?"

"Where is he?"

Hinamori sighed, _These girls must be blind or something is wrong with their brains, did they not just see him leave?_

"Please leave Hitsugaya-san alone, he does not wish to see you," Hinamori replied calmly.

"What leave so that you can have him all to yourself? No way you slut, you're no good for him!" sneered the red head. The rest of the girls sneered in agreement.

Suddenly Hinamori felt someone grab her arm and she was whisked away before she could make a retort.

"Good job, Hinamori-san," complimented Gin as they both raced to where they saw Toshiro with the car.

"Thanks, but Hitsugaya-san's fan club is very rude," pouted Hinamori.

The two ran through the busy parking lot and received many honks from impatient and surprised people. Their footsteps blended in with the chattering of people and engines of the cars.

"Ha, just wait 'til you two become a couple, you'll experience worse!" warned Gin.

"Funny thought, Ichimaru-san," Hinamori commented as she glared at him, "but we'll never become a couple, and besides, don't you want to know one of the real reasons Hitsugaya-san wanted to come here?"

Gin nodded his head as sweat began to form at his temples.

"He wanted to see his first love again and attempt to make amends," Hinamori said.

"You two hurry up!" yelled Toshiro.

"We are-" started Gin.

"LOOK GIRLS, THERE HE IS!"

"SHIRO-CHAN!"

Hinamori looked back and saw Toshiro's fan club tailing them. _I guess they're not that dumb after all._

Gin threw their luggage in the trunk before jumping into the backseat. Hinamori had already claimed the front seat and Toshiro was in the driver's seat.

"Hit the gas!" yelled Gin.

Toshiro quickly drove off with the sound of wailing fan girls fading behind them.

"Remind me, how did you managed to get a, or should I say, MILLIONS of fan clubs again?" sighed Hinamori as she leaned her hair against the window.

* * *

><p>Rukia had just come back from lunch with Orihime, and was now finishing up the last of the reports for the day.<p>

There were three knocks on her office door. "Oi, Rukia can I come in?"

"Can you?" Rukia taunted.

"Grrr, _may_ I come in?" Ichigo asked.

"Now you can," giggled Rukia.

Ichigo walked in with a goofy grin on his face. "Did you hear about Rangiku's party?"

"Yes, are you going to come with me?" Rukia inquired.

"You already know my answer, and where would I be without my little midget?" Ichigo teased.

"Hey!" Rukia pouted.

Ichigo walked out of Rukia's office saying, "It's fair and you know it!"

Just as Ichigo left, Rangiku barged in.

"Rukia! Gin just texted me and said that he's on his way to our house!" squealed Rangiku.

"Cool, hey Rangiku, when's your party anyway?" asked Rukia.

"Tomorrow at 7:00PM sharp, don't be late, 'kay?" Rangiku sang as she left Rukia's office.

Rukia smiled to herself. At least Rangiku had decided to plan her party on Saturday. That was a reasonable time.

She looked back down at her desk and quickly signed her name on the report. Sighing, she propped her head up with her arm and closed her eyes. Two sea-foam green eyes looked back at her, and they were filled with hurt and betrayal.

Rukia jerked in her chair and was gasping for breath.

_T-Toshiro? Why can't I stop thinking about you!_ Rukia thought to herself. Her head fell to her hands in exhaustion and tears welled up in her amethyst eyes.

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><p>PLEASE R&amp;R! LEAVE YOUR COMMENTS ABOUT THIS CHAPTER PLEASE, AND IF YOU HAVE QUESTIONS, FEEL FREE TO ASK! CONSTRUCTIVE CRITISM IS ALWAYS WELCOMED! Check out my profile to see when I may be updating any of my stories! XD<p> 


	3. Chapter 3

I Promise You

Chapter 3

Disclaimer: No, I do not own Bleach.

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><p>Dirtyspots- I had to add it, but I'm glad you found it funny! Thank you for the review!<p>

Denidene- She started dating Ichigo after Byakuya let her work in his company. They met and well sparks flew for Rukia. It was also a way for her to forget the pain Toshiro had given her. Thank you for reviewing!

Shadow Pain- You're welcome! Thank you for reviewing!

SparklyColours- Toshiro is the CEO of a big trading company. Really? Was it grilled? I like Gin too! Well, I don't think Ichigo will get heartbroken...Thanks for the review!

Bleachgirl1- Well, I think he might...I guess that will be how one interprets that part. Thank you for reviewing!

.Lies- Thank you and I will!

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><p>"Ru-kia! Are you here yet?" Rangiku asked, her voice barely audible with all the background music.<p>

"Hai Rangiku, Ichigo and I are parking as we speak," Rukia replied with a smile.

"Oh, great! See you soon!" Rangiku bade before hanging up.

Rangiku's house was three-stories high and was glamorously decorated. The roof was bright red with triangle-shaped shingles. Lights could be seen flashing through the windows. Small, delicate flowers bordered the perimeter of the house. They were patterned stripes; ghostly white and bright orange. Cars were parked throughout the property with people still entering the house.

Ichigo turned off the car's engine and looked at Rukia.

She was wearing a tight-fitting light blue blouse with a pair of skinny jeans.

"You ready?" he asked.

"Of course! Why are you asking?" Rukia answered.

"Well, you know, Rangiku's parties can get crazy," Ichigo stated with a smirk.

Rukia playfully hit Ichigo on the arm before getting out of the car. "Yeah, and something tells me that you'll be adding to the craziness."

Ichigo got out as well and both walked, hand-in-hand, to the front door.

Music blared out from every opening of the house, seeming to shake the building itself. The lights flashed inside, changing color every so often to the beat of the music.

They both walked in and were immediately swamped by other party-goers. The atmosphere was sweaty and humid. People were dancing, eating, and yelling to communicate.

"Ichigo!" Rukia yelled, but her voice was swept away in the sound waves of the music. The constant flashing of lights were quite disorienting. She tugged on his arm to get his attention.

Ichigo turned and yelled, "What?"

"I'm going to meet up with the other girls!" Rukia shouted in his ear.

Ichigo nodded his head and Rukia began working her way through the sea of people, looking for her friends. Random strangers bumped against her, making her trip to find her friends difficult.

A flash of white-hair passed in front of her and Rukia fell back on the wall from shock. Unwanted memories rushed into her mind, causing her to close her eyes.

_Flashback_

Toshiro looked utterly shocked, "Wh-what?"

Rukia looked away and repeated, "I can't Toshiro." She fingered the hem of her dress and focused her attention on the leaves surrounding her.

Toshiro let his disappointment show on his face as he too looked away. _So, she doesn't love me after all, _Toshiro concluded. His heart was torn in half in a matter of seconds with those simple three words.

The two sat in awkward silence that was punctuated with the ever so often boom of the fireworks.

Toshiro let go of Rukia's hands and abruptly stood up, causing leaves to scatter around his ankles.

Rukia looked at him. "To-"

"I'm leaving," he said coldly, and began walking away. _I can't stay here. Looking at you is hurt itself now._

Rukia stood up and began following him. "Wait, Toshiro, I'll come with you." _Please, I want you to forgive me..._

Toshiro didn't stop walking and said, "You can't."

Rukia stopped and stared at him. "What?"

Toshiro sighed, "Tomorrow, I-I'm leaving Japan."

Rukia felt her insides being torn out of her being. _He's leaving? Just like that, huh? Tomorrow?_ Her eyes began to burn with tears as she yelled, "Why didn't you tell me sooner?"

Toshiro took a deep breath and looked over his shoulder. "I wanted you to come with me, but I guess not."

Rukia looked shocked. "Why?"

"Because I love and I wanted you to be with me," he scoffed. "Why should I tell you that I was leaving anyway?"

"Because were _best_ friends!" Rukia retorted. She balled her fists. _Why are you suddenly treating me like this! Just because I'm not ready yet?_

Toshiro saw tears fall from Rukia's amethyst pools. "Yeah, you're right, _just_ friends." Inside, Toshiro felt guilty for making her cry and it took all his will power to not go back and comfort her.

Rukia watched helplessly as Toshiro walked away from her, disappearing in the dense brush. Her knees buckled and she crumpled to the floor, quickly becoming a sobbing mess.

_End of flashback_

Opening her eyes, Rukia went back to looking for her friends. Her eyes had become watery, and her mood dampened. _That's right, Toshiro left me. I couldn't tell him because I simply wasn't ready. Was that so wrong?_

"Heeeeeey Rukia!" called an obviously drunk voice.

Rukia looked around and saw Rangiku waving at her.

Rukia made her way over to her friend. "Rangiku! So where's your husband?" Rukia asked while wagging her eyebrows.

"Oh he must be talking to his boss. You know the CEO of some big trading company?" Rangiku replied.

"Hmm, I'm not familiar with any other big trading company other than ours," Rukia said, tapping her chin. "Oh, by the way, how come we can talk here without shouting?"

"Oh, well Gin installed these sound absorbing walls here. Great isn't it?" Rangiku asked with a smile.

Rukia nodded her head.

"Ru-kia, come have a drink!" invited a bubbly voice.

Senna and Orihime were clinging to each other as they made their way over to Rukia and Rangiku.

"Senna! Orihime! Gee, how many drinks did you guys have?" Rukia asked as she looked over at her two pink-faced friends.

"A couple," hiccupped Orihime.

"Oh and some shots too!" added Senna.

Rukia gave Rangiku a how-could-you-let-them look.

"What! Come on Rukia it's a party! Let us girls have some fun!" Rangiku stated while putting her hands up in defense.

Sudden loud cheering was heard in another room accompanied by the chant, "DO IT! DO IT!"

Rukia made a face, but Rangiku quickly answered her unspoken question, "Uh, binge drinking. Nothing to worry about! Heh, heh, um, you need to have some fun!"

"Yeah, loosen up Rukia!" agreed Orihime as she pushed a small cup into Rukia's hand.

Rukia looked at the contents of the cup and raised an eyebrow at Orihime. "Jello?"

"Uh-huh, a jello-_shot_ to be exact!" Orihime said, nodding her head clumsily.

Rukia looked warily at the little cup in her hands. _This has to have a lot of alcohol in it, but I guess one wouldn't get me too drunk._ She downed the contents of the cup in one gulp and cringed at the bitter-sweet taste.

"Woohoo! Yeah Rukia is finally having some fun!" cheered Rangiku.

Rukia's vision began to slightly blur, and she felt quite light-headed.

"Ughh, Rangiku, how much al-" Rukia started.

"Come on girls, to the dance floor!" interrupted Rangiku as she grabbed Rukia's arm.

Senna and Orihime followed after grabbing a few beers.

Rukia, who was unwillingly dragged onto the very crowded dance floor, was in the midst of swarming bodies with no Rangiku in sight.

"Hey Rukia, catch!" called out Senna as she threw a beer.

Rukia awkwardly caught it and looked up in time to see Senna disappear. She sighed, _I'm already a bit tipsy, but a little more won't make much of a difference. Still though,_ Rukia argued with herself,_ I'm surrounded by perverted looking dancers..._

Popping open the cap, Rukia took a drink and quickly became intoxicated.

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><p>"I'm sorry, again, Hinamori-san," Toshiro apologized.<p>

"No it's fine really! I love parties!" Hinamori insisted while shaking her head.

Toshiro gave his secretary a grateful smile and then stood up. "I'm going out to the garden and maybe get some peace and quiet."

"Oh okay, I'm going to go mingle with the others," Hinamori said with a mischievous smile.

Toshiro raised his eye-brow before walking out to Rangiku's garden.

* * *

><p>Rukia was lip-locked with Ichigo as they rocked back and forth on the dance floor. The music was still blaring, but over the course of Rukia getting drunk, many people had taken their leave for the night.<p>

The two parted and were staring deeply into each other's eyes.

"Rukia, I-" Ichigo began.

CRASH!

"Owwwwww!" cried a voice.

Ichigo and Rukia whipped their heads toward the kitchen where the sound had come from. They both silently agreed to go check out what happened and rushed towards the room.

As soon as Rukia appeared in the doorway, she gasped and rushed to Senna's aid.

Rukia put her hands on either side of Senna's face and shook her gently. "Senna, Senna are you okay?" She looked at the broken glass scattered around Senna's feet.

Dazedly, Senna looked at Rukia through half-closed eyes, "I dropped the cup."

Ichigo sighed with an amused smile once seeing that Senna had not been hurt.

Rangiku and Gin ran in followed by Toshiro. Toshiro, however, was blocked from entering the kitchen by Rangiku and Gin.

Rukia, though she was drunk, helped Senna up as Ichigo cleaned up the glass.

Rangiku ran a hand through her hair. "Please be more careful Senna." After a moment she tiredly clapped her hands together. "Okay everyone, let's turn in!"

"Uh yeah ok-" Rukia began, but started feeling something climb up her throat. She ran past Rangiku, Gin, and a bewildered Toshiro.

Ichigo stared after her, but stayed beside Senna who was drowsily leaning on his shoulder.

Toshiro stared at the quickly retreating figure with an opened mouth and wide eyes. _That hair-style! Those eyes!_

"Hey Ichigo, why don't you take Senna home, just for tonight?" Gin asked.

"What? What about Rukia?" Ichigo questioned. He knew his apartment was small, and well, taking two _drunken_ girls home was out of the question.

Amazed at finding Rukia so soon, Toshiro entered the kitchen. _It is her!_

"Don't worry, we'll tell her and I'm sure she won't mind," added Rangiku with a small smile.

Ichigo still looked unsure.

"It's alright Ichigo," Rukia said before she slowly walked in. Her hand was clutching her stomach and she looked paler than usual.

"Rukia, are you sure? I don't have to," Ichigo stated, worriedly looking at her position.

"Yes I'm sure. Look, Senna doesn't have a ride home now that Orihime is gone and she's so tired plus way drunk!" After looking into Ichigo's eyes, she added, "Besides, I trust you."

Ichigo smiled at her before picking Senna up, bridal style. "I guess I'll see you tomorrow then."

Toshiro stared at Rukia who watched Ichigo go with hopeful eyes. He immediately felt hurt. A pang of jealousy washed over him making him slightly glare at the orange-head.

Rangiku reached out to Rukia, but Rukia suddenly collapsed. Toshiro swiftly caught her.

A familiar face loomed before Rukia's darkening vision. _I've seen you before,_ Rukia thought as she blacked out.

"Great catch boss!" Gin grinned.

Toshiro looked annoyed. "Where's Hinamori-san?"

"Oh she left with some guy earlier," Gin replied. He suddenly got a sly look on his face. "Why? Are you worried about your _girlfriend_?"

"No, I was just thinking that she could have taken Ru-Kuchiki home," Toshiro replied, correcting himself and then added, "And she's not my girlfriend!"

Rangiku looked confused, but muttered, "Ah, poor Rukia, she had too much to drink." Facing Toshiro she asked, "Sorry to bother you, but could you take Rukia home with you?"

Toshiro's face reddened and he choked out, "What?" _You have got to be kidding me! She'll eat me alive once morning comes!_

Rangiku twirled her hair. "There are a lot of creeps around here that stay until morning. I don't want Rukia to get hurt while Gin and I are sleeping the day away."

Toshiro thought about what Rangiku said. _If I leave her here, she'll get hurt. If I take her with me, I'll probably end up getting hurt..._ "Fine."

Rangiku smiled mischievously as Toshiro took Rukia out to his car. "Though he was rather reluctant, everyone's taken care of."

Gin swooped Rangiku up in his arms, "Except for you!" He ran up to their bedroom with Rangiku laughing and shouting insults.

Toshiro carefully laid Rukia in the passenger seat and put her seat belt on. He smiled as she muttered something incoherent.

Climbing into the driver seat, Toshiro looked at Rukia and brushed a stray piece of hair away from her face. "Still as beautiful as I remember," he whispered. His hand traced the side of her face and Rukia unconsciously leaned into his touch.

"I hate the fact that I'm still in love with you, Rukia."

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><p>Well, we know one side of this sort of relationship! Please R&amp;R! Thanks for the reviews! I'll be away for awhile, so I'm sorry if I update really late next time...<p> 


	4. Chapter 4

I Promise You

Chapter 4

Disclaimer: Everyday I'm sh-shuffling! So this means I don't o-own Bleach!

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><p>Dirtyspots-Chan- I AGREE! GO HITSURUKI! Thank you for reviewing!<p>

Denidene- Thank you and thanks for reviewing!

Shadow Pain- You're welcome and here's the chapter! Thank you for the review!

apple21- Thanks for reviewing!

Unknown bleach fan- Yes they do! Here it is and thank you for reviewing!

Senna54367- Thank you and I'm glad you love this story!

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><p>So, of course, I'm sorry for updating so late! I got really lazy and what not...plus school work. So, I will be working on writing the next chapter soon, well as soon as I finish writing the chap for My Bloody Rose Kiss and Angels' Will. Well anyway, thank you all for the reviews again! They're inspirational!<p>

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><p>Rukia's head was throbbing. It felt like an architect was hammering his way out of her skull. Her body was enveloped in silky sheets and her head lay on a velvet soft pillow.<p>

_My bed is not this soft..._

Her eyes slowly opened, blinking a few times to adjust to the dim darkness. The curtains in the room were drawn closed, allowing only little rays of sun light to peek through. She sat up in the bed and her head began immediately pounding in protest. Faintly, she heard the small squeak of a door open.

She sat with her head cradled between her knees, eyes barely opened. Two hands, one holding a water bottle and the other two pills, appeared before her squinted vision.

"Take these, it helps the headache," a male voice stated calmly.

Rukia nervously took the pills without looking at the owner of the hands.

"Thank you," she said softly.

She took the medicine and then looked up to see the shock of her morning.

"T-Toshiro?" Rukia choked out.

Toshiro averted his gaze. "Hello Rukia."

Rukia's eyes narrowed and she pushed off the covers, checking her clothes.

Toshiro saw this and scoffed, "We didn't do anything."

Rukia ignored Toshiro and got out of the bed, brushing past him and out the bedroom door. Her usually light footsteps were loud and hard, as she walked into the hallway.

Toshiro sighed, _This is going to be harder than I thought._

He followed her out the door and into his large apartment living room. All the while, he refused to utter a word, and watched her dart around his apartment silently.

Rukia flitted about, looking for her purse, not bothering to look at Toshiro. _Why is he here? Why am I here in his apartment?_

Frustrated, she turned to him, "Where did you put my purse?"

Toshiro went to his closet, opened it and pulled out the said object. He walked towards her handed her it.

Rukia snatched the purse and almost literally ran to the door. She was confused and that seemed to only make her headache worse.

_I haven't apologized yet! I can't let her leave like this! _Toshiro scolded himself.

Rukia's hand was on the doorknob when she heard him call out her name.

"Rukia I-" Toshiro began tentatively.

She whipped around. "Why are you here?"

Toshiro swallowed. _How should I start this? _He looked at her beautiful pools of amethyst that were filled with confusion and hints of anger. Her petite shoulders were tense and her whole body was slightly trembling.

Rukia bravely took a step forward. "What do you want from me?"

"I want to apologize for-" Toshiro started.

"Apologize?" Sarcasm was dripping heavily off Rukia's words. "Oh, an apology after what, five years?"

Toshiro looked away, unable to face the woman he had fallen in love with. He searched for an answer to her blunt question, but unfortunately could not come up with one.

Tears gathered in Rukia's eyes. "I knew it. This is all your bull shit, isn't it? You decide to suddenly come back now?" This time Rukia looked away. "You...you ignored my calls, my letters." Her voice faltered at the last words, and her purse dropped to the floor with a quiet thud.

"I tried to get back to you!" Toshiro blurted. _Lie, that's a lie._

A few tear drops escaped Rukia's eyes. "Really Toshiro? You didn't _try_ anything that had to do with _me_ after that day!" She wiped the tears off her face.

"You broke my heart, I loved you!" he retorted. His anger from that time was starting to bubble up, a volcano waiting to burst, but he wouldn't allow it.

"You don't even know why I said no, do you?" Rukia asked bitterly. Her eyes were narrowed and she looked pained every time she glanced at the man before her.

Toshiro's eyes widened and he stuffed his hands in his pockets. "What does that have to do with anything?"

Rukia threw her hands to the side. "_Everything!_ You just walked off thinking about _your _feelings, _your _pride! Not giving a single thought to what I was going through!"

"Then tell me! What were you going through?" Toshiro pleaded.

Her face held a scowl. Her body looked tired and defeated. "I thought you were rushing me into something I wasn't ready for."

"I didn't know," Toshiro whispered.

"Of course you didn't!" Rukia snapped. "We weren't even dating and you confessed your love for me right out of the blue!" She wrapped her arms around herself as more tears fell, making small plops on the wooden floor.

Rukia looked utterly broken, and Toshiro felt the guilt, the pain wash over him. Seeing her like this, made him feel like a jerky asshole.

Toshiro crossed the space between them and embraced her. He felt her stiffen, but to his relief, she didn't break away. He didn't resist hugging her tightly, he had waited for this moment for five long years.

He made small comforting circles on her back as he stroked her head. Leaning down to her ear, he murmured, "Rukia, I'm truly sorry."

His breath sent tingles down and up her spine as he whispered in her ear. She was so tempted to bury her face into his chest, for the moment felt so welcoming. It felt good, it was...wrong.

She pushed herself away from him and the loss of contact made her head spin. Toshiro reached out for her again, but she jerked away.

"Rukia-"

"I can't do this, I'm sorry," Rukia apologized, stalling to quickly collect herself.

She locked eyes with Toshiro and registered the hurt and longing in his eyes before dashing out the door.

Toshiro's mind scolded him for letting her slip out of his grip. He clenched his fists and cursed, but what could he do? She was already in a relationship.

Rukia got into a taxi and rode to her apartment. _Stupid, stupid, stupid!_ she yelled in her thoughts. How could she have let it go so far?

"Ma'am, we're here," the taxi driver stated, bringing Rukia back into reality.

She paid the taxi driver, muttering a polite "thank you," and fled to her safe haven. Her cozy apartment.

Locking the door behind her, Rukia flung herself onto her couch and tightly hugged a nearby pillow. Looking at the clock, she saw that it was a quarter past nine.

Rukia's apartment was modestly decorated, with a few expensive vases placed here and there. Her bedroom was down a hallway and the kitchen was right next to the front door. The wallpaper of her apartment was light blue mixed with delicate purple swirls. The flooring consisted of bamboo wood for every part of the house except for the kitchen and bathroom. Two leather couched crowded the living room, surrounding a rectangular gray coffee table.

"Ichigo should be up by now," Rukia thought aloud, with a quiet voice.

She dialed his number and eagerly waited for the moment he would pick up. She needed to hear his voice in order to assure that her feelings for him were still there, were still strong.

The rings went by, and his voice mail picked up.

"Yo, this is Ichigo. I'm not available ri-"

She ended the call, feeling confused and utterly desperate.

* * *

><p><em>ChAngE! Nobikanai nagasarenaiyo. Ima kanjiru koto ni sunao de itai no!<em>

Orihime looked up from her octopus ink coffee and reached out for her phone.

"Hello?" Orihime asked.

"Orihime? Orihime! I need to talk to you!" the voice on the other end whispered fiercely.

"Senna, what's wrong?" Orihime whispered back. Her friend sounded on the verge of tears.

* * *

><p>Toshiro had left for his office after moping around his apartment for twenty minutes after Rukia made her hasty exit. He raised his wrist to check the time as he filled out some paperwork.<p>

Sighing, he got up and walked towards the meeting room. The last thing that he wanted to do was sit through an hour of old men arguing about his trade company's next "big step." Instead he wanted to feel Rukia in his arms and smell her hair, her body. Impossible.

Toshiro sat down at the head of the table and watched as his co-workers trickled in, filling up the empty chairs one by one. There was small side chatter, but they were made only when the offenders were sure that their boss wasn't looking.

Gin took a seat to the right of Toshiro, and Hinamori sat to Toshiro's left.

Gin smirked and leaned towards the two. "Did you guys have a good night at the party?"

Both knew what Gin was getting at, so they weren't too eager to reply.

"As a matter of fact, I did," Hinamori coyly answered.

"Oh really now?" Gin stated, his head flitting back and forth between his boss and co-worker.

"Yes, I met a guy at the party," Hinamori continued. She licked her lips, "One of my best nights."

Gin looked slight disgusted and disappointed at the same time, but clamped up once he noticed Toshiro's irritated expression.

"Let's get this meeting over with," Toshiro said while holding the bridge of his nose.

* * *

><p>Please R&amp;R! Thanks for reading and constructive critism is always welcomed! I hope you all enjoyed this chapter even though it's pretty short... Hahaha, til next time!<p> 


	5. Chapter 5

I Promise You

Chapter 5

Disclaimer: If anyone has ever doubted this, I will say it again...I don't own Bleach. It's as simple as that!

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><p>Denidene- You're welcome and I will! Thank you for you're review!<p>

Shadow Pain- I'm VERY glad that you reviewed!

metsfan101- Thank you and thank you for leaving a review!

Chiba Aina- Yeah! Go HitsuRuki! Yep, they did... Here's the next chapter! Thanks for reviewing!

Dirtyspots-Chan- Yep...you're right on that one. Lol, Ichigo better watch out! Thanks for your review!

MimmaMell- I'm happy that you think my story is interesting! Here's the update and thanks for reviewing!

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><p>Hey everyone! This is my late Christmas gift and Happy New Year's gift to you! So, a lot of you know what is going on between Ichigo and Senna, but let's keep it on a low profile for those that don't know. And yes, for the people who guessed in their reviews, you're right! Is my writing that obvious? I will have to work on that some more. I apologize in advance for this chapter...it definitely isn't my best, but I wanted to update before next year. Wow, this year went by like really fast! I hope all you, my faithful readers, will stick with my story and me through the new year!<p>

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><p>The elevator doors opened and Rukia stepped out. She sighed and rubbed her head. She was more than eager to start all the paper work she was sure that she had and drown her troubles away.<p>

"Rukia-chan!" greeted Rangiku. The busty woman wrapped her arms around the petite girl and swung her side-to-side.

Rukia let herself be hugged, but made no attempt to return the gesture.

Rangiku pulled away and looked over her friend. "Rukia, is everything alright?"

Rukia smiled, "Yes, everything's alright! I just feel a little tired."

Arching a brow, Rangiku continued, "Well you've been 'tired' for quite awhile now. Why don't you take a vacation?"

Dodging her friend, Rukia replied, "And leave Ichigo alone? We'd be lucky if he didn't burn the place down!"

Rangiku chuckled lightly at Rukia's joke, but it couldn't hide the worried expression in her eyes.

On her way to her office, Rukia looked around for Ichigo. Seeing no sign of him, she walked into her office and shut the door.

* * *

><p>Senna peered over her cubicle and sighed in relief when she saw neither Ichigo nor Rukia. Quickly logging off of her computer, she grabbed her purse. Tip-toeing out of her work place cautiously, Senna started to head over to Orihime's cubicle.<p>

"Senna?"

Senna whipped around and almost fainted when she realized it was Rukia.

"R-R-Rukia," Senna stuttered while looking at the floor.

Rukia looked over Senna with a concerned expression. "Yes, are you okay?"

"Y-Yes! W-Why would you think that something is wrong?" Senna quickly countered while clutching her purse close to her chest.

"Well you're sneaking around and you look like you just saw a monster or something," Rukia answered with a slight chuckle.

Feeling more relaxed, Senna pouted.

Rukia laughed before saying, "Come on, Orhime and I are going out for lunch and you're coming with us."

Taking Senna's hand, Rukia led her to where Orihime was waiting. Senna cheerfully smiled when Rukia looked back at her, but her guilty feelings bubbled right below the surface.

* * *

><p>"Look Hitsugaya-san, there's the cafe I was talking about!" exclaimed Hinamori as she pointed at a moderately sized building.<p>

Toshiro looked in the direction Hinamori had pointed. "Heaven's Drink?"

"That's right!" Hinamori said excitedly. "It's the cutest maid cafe I've ever seen!"

"Wait, ma-" started Toshiro.

"Come on! I'll show you!" Hinamori stated while dragging Toshiro by his arm.

* * *

><p>"Mistresses, would you like anything else today?" a maid asked with a warm smile.<p>

"No thank you," replied Orihime.

After doing a small bow, the maid took her leave.

Orihime looked at Senna who was fidgeting with her fingers and then at Rukia who was absent-mindedly sipping her drink while checking her phone.

The atmosphere of the cafe was peaceful with people lightly conversing. The wooden flooring had a glossy sheen and looked unscratched. Each chair had a velvet red cushion and was tucked in at a mahogany wood table.

"Oh, Orihime, did you enjoy the party?" Rukia asked suddenly.

Senna winced, but Orihime answered, "Of course but I think I got a bit out of hand."

Rukia laughed and Senna joined in shortly.

"Orihime, how do you know about this maid cafe?" Senna inquired.

"Yeah, I was wondering about that too!" chimed in Rukia.

Orihime looked around at the cozy cafe, watching the many maids tend to their customers. She turned to the two and replied, "Well I was walking around this part of town when I saw-"

"Hinamori-san! I don't want to go in here!" a male voice said harshly.

The three girls turned their heads to the loud interruption and gasped.

"Welcome home, master and mistress," greeted two maids.

"Thank you!" Hinamori said cheerfully.

_Toshiro? What is he doing here? Who is that girl that he's with?_ Rukia thought, and then looked back down at her drink.

"Hinamori-san!" both Orihime and Senna called.

Hinamori turned in the direction her name had come from and immediately waved back.

"Wait, you know her?" Rukia asked, an incredulous look pasted on her face.

"Yeah, we met her at Ran-chan's party," answered Senna.

The three girls looked back over at the pair and saw Hinamori talking to the maids while motioning in the direction that they sat. Toshiro looked over curiously and caught Rukia's gaze. He found himself smirking when she turned away.

_So Rukia's here,_ Toshiro thought.

Hinamori tugged on Toshiro's arm once again and led him over to Rukia's table.

Rukia's nerves were beginning to get to her as the pair walked closer. However when Hinamori and Toshiro arrived at her table, Rukia stood up and offered her hand to the former.

"Hello, my name is Kuchiki Rukia. I'm afraid we haven't met before," Rukia greeted, turning on her Kuchiki charm.

Hinamori shook hands with Rukia while saying, "It's a pleasure to meet you! I'm Hinamori Momo." She started to introduce Toshiro, but he interrupted.

"We've already met," he said.

"Oh really?" Hinamori inquired looking between the two of them.

Rukia nodded, a fake smile pasted on her face. "Indeed we have."

Realization hit Hinamori and she managed to hold in her gasp.

"What are you guys doing up? Come and sit down!" Orihime said cheerfully.

Both Toshiro and Hinamori moved to sit down, but Rukia stayed standing.

"I'm sorry you guys, but I have to head back to the office," Rukia stated. She happily ignored Toshiro's sudden downcast expression.

Orihime pouted, but Senna stood up abruptly.

"Crap! I forgot to turn in those client files!" Senna added.

"We can head back together," Rukia suggested.

Senna nodded and joined Rukia's side.

"I'm really sorry Orihime!" apologized Rukia. She turned to Hinamori. "Please forgive me for cutting our time short. I hope we'll have another chance to get better acquainted."

"Don't worry about it!" Hinamori replied as Rukia and Senna turned to leave.

Orihime faced the remainder of the table. "Order anything!"

* * *

><p>Rukia and Senna rushed into their floor, but stopped short when Senna let out a yelp.<p>

"Ichigo?" Senna choked out as she recovered from her run in with said person.

Ichigo leaned back and rubbed the back of his head with his hand. "Oh, Senna."

Rukia looked at the two before clearing her throat.

Ichigo glanced over and saw Rukia with an annoyed expression. He stepped back and breathed, "Rukia."

"Oh, you finally noticed," Rukia snapped.

Senna slipped away from the couple, her guilty feelings threatening to break through the surface.

Ichigo frowned, "What do you mean?"

"What do I mean?" mocked Rukia. "I've been standing here for at least a minute or so and you haven't even said 'Hello.'"

He sighed and turned away.

Rukia shook her head in disbelief. "Are you ignoring me now?"

Neither Rukia nor Ichigo seemed to be in a good mood, and their attitudes were clashing as a consequence.

Ichigo turned back. "What if I am?"

His slouched posture was starting to irritate Rukia in more ways than one.

_Ughhh, men!_ Rukia thought furiously.

"Does how your acting right now have anything to do with Senna?" she inquired while crossing her arms.

Ichigo's face contorted into anger. "What does any of this have to do with Senna?"

Rukia's eyes widened at his harsh tone. Never had he used that type of tone when speaking to her.

"Wha-" Rukia started, but then stopped. Before turning on her heel and walking away, she muttered, "Forget it."

Ichigo groaned and rubbed his temples.

* * *

><p>"Wow, you know a lot about Rukia-san," Hinamori stated with bright eyes.<p>

"Well yeah, we're really close!" Orihime agreed.

Toshiro put on a bored facade, but inside he was entirely curious about what Rukia had been doing over the past years of his absence.

_She's accomplished so much. Signs, I guess, of her moving on_, he sullenly thought.

After paying the bill for their lunch, Toshiro and Hinamori parted ways with Orihime.

"Is she the one?" Hinamori asked abruptly as they were walking away from the cafe.

Toshiro stared at Hinamori with a shocked expression, but then quickly recovered when he realized that his secretary might not be talking about Rukia.

"I'm talking about Ms. Kuchiki," she said as if reading his mind.

"Yeah, that's her," admitted Toshiro without reluctance.

Hinamori tapped her chin. "What did you do to her? She really seems to hate you."

"It's a long story," Toshiro sighed.

She turned to him with a serious expression. "Do you really want her back?"

Toshiro narrowed her eyes as he looked at Hinamori. "Where is this going?"

Two little kids ran past them, shoving Toshiro out of their way while laughing uncontrollably.

"Sorry mister," the little girl yelled before chasing after her friend.

Hinamori lightly giggled before hitting his arm and going back to their conversation. "If you want her, I'll help you get her back!" She pranced ahead and stopped in front of her boss. Bending slightly forward, she waved her finger saying, "Heaven only knows what she sees in that orange-head."

"How did you-"

"It's obvious, isn't it? Didn't you see what they were doing at the party?" Hinamori interrupted.

Toshiro shook his head and stuffed his hands in his pockets.

Hinamori giggled again. "Yep, looks like I'll be helping you!" Her mind had already started hatching ideas.

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><p>I know, I know! Cheesy way to end a chapter! Well I hope you all enjoyed this poorly written chapter! Please R&amp;R and constructive critism is always welcomed! What are Hinamori's plans? Do you think that they will end up hurting Toshiro or Rukia? For those of you who are reading my story Angels' Will, it's in its editing process, so keep an eye out for the update. Thank you everyone and I'll see you next year!<p> 


	6. Chapter 6

I Promise You

Chapter 6

Disclaimer: Bleach, an amazing anime that is not owned by me.

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><p>Shadow Pain - I'm glad you love it! Thank you for your review!<p>

apple21 - Here's the update! Thanks for reviewing!

Denidene - Hope this chappy meets your expectations! Thanks for reviewing!

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><p>Sorry for the late chapter! I know this is pretty short, but the next will be longer! I promise! Right now, I'm trying to finish Angels' Will, so that is my main priority. However, I'll keep updating this story and my other one as well! Enjoy!<p>

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><p>Senna gasped and almost burst into tears. She read and reread the test again and again. Standing up, she pitched it into the trashcan and tore bunches of paper up. She buried the test and refused to take a second look at it.<p>

Her mirror image looked back at her distraughtly. Bags had appeared under her eyes and her hair was a mess. Senna had been feeling odd lately and began to have a suspicion that she proved with one test. She put a hand on the counter in her bathroom and bent forward to rest her head on her arm.

_Impossible! This can't be happening!_

* * *

><p>Rangiku and Orihime stood awkwardly between Rukia and Ichigo. The two looked back and forth between the silent couple.<p>

The four had moved from Ichigo's office to outside his office where the other cubicles were when Ichigo and Rukia began pacing. They stood between a row where the other co-workers busied themselves or at least tried too. It was hard not to notice the argument of their manager and assistant manager.

"Why don't we just take a break for now," Rangiku suggested and then let her voice trail off.

Both Ichigo and Rukia sighed irritably before sending death glares at one another. Rukia's amethyst eyes were trying to stare down Ichigo's brown ones. The tension between the two felt so overwhelming, Rangiku and Orihime were afraid to step in less they suddenly exploded. This was affecting the others near the two as well. People working were quite cautious of the noise they made. Even the fast typers were starting to slowly peck.

"Why can't you just go along with this?" Ichigo asked Rukia in a demanding tone.

"Oh I don't know," Rukia said sarcastically. "Maybe because it's stupid and a big mistake!"

Ichigo towered over her. His posture was rigid and stiff. "This deal would be most beneficial to the company."

"No! This is a fall-out deal! We're not going to get anything out of this!" Rukia remarked with an icy edge. She rubbed her temples, an irritated expression on her face.

Ignoring the sighing that was going around, Rangiku yelled, "Break it up!"

Orihime nodded. "What's wrong with you two? You've never acted like this before!"

Rukia placed one hand on her hip and used the other to motion at Ichigo. "Why don't you ask him?"

"What? So this is my fault now?" Ichigo inquired angrily.

"Well it certainly isn't mine!" Rukia scoffed.

"Okay, okay, okay," Rangiku said in a calm tone. She stepped between the two and held up a hand to each one. "Stop."

Ichigo folded his arms and looked off in another direction.

Rangiku looked at Rukia. "You are going on a vacation whether you like it or not."

"Wha-"

"Ichigo," Rangiku interrupted. "You are going to stay here and we will sort out this deal."

"Good, I don't need her to be around," Ichigo muttered.

Rukia gasped. "I cannot believe you."

"Yeah, Kurosaki-san, that's cruel," Orihime agreed.

Ichigo ignored their comments and walked off. He went into his office and slammed the door shut. Many co-workers turned their heads towards the noise. There was visible relief flooding through the atmosphere as the manager and assistant manager were separated.

Rangiku glared at the door. "What's wrong with him?"

"I don't know," Rukia stated softly. "I honestly don't know."

Orihime wrapped her arms around Rukia comfortingly. "Come on, I'll help you get home."

"Go rest, Rukia," Rangiku said, "I'll tell your brother for you."

Rukia nodded and she and Orihime left the floor.

* * *

><p>Hinamori was busily filling out papers at her desk. She was outside Toshiro's office whose door was closed. Just as she finished up a stack, her phone rang.<p>

Stretching a bit, she reached out for her phone and picked it up. "Hello?"

Her eyes widened at the sudden request. "Do you mind if I bring a friend? No? Great! I'll be over in a few!"

She ended the phone call and smiled mischievously. Standing up, Hinamori made her way to Toshiro's office. Pushing the door open, she put on a mask of concern.

"Toshiro! R-Rukia…Rukia is…" stuttered Hinamori.

Toshiro immediately stood up. "What's wrong with Rukia?"

Hiding her face with her hands, Hinamori sobbed, "You have to come see!"

Toshiro looked down at his unfinished paperwork. Rubbing his forehead he asked, "Where is she?"

* * *

><p>Orihime silently closed the door to Rukia's bedroom and tip-toed towards her living-room. She moved into the kitchen and opened the fridge.<p>

"Oh Rukia, what in the world do you eat?" Orihime asked out loud as she stared at Rukia's near empty fridge. Only an empty egg carton and a small basket of grapes occupied the fridge.

Her head looked up when she heard knocking at the door. Closing the fridge she happily went to answered it.

"Momo-chan!" greeted Orihime. She looked behind her and saw Toshiro. "Oh, Hitsugaya-san is here too!"

Toshiro nodded in acknowledgement and looked behind Orihime.

Orihime stepped aside and motioned for the two to come in. "Rukia's asleep right now."

Toshiro stopped discreetly looking for the raven-head upon hearing this. "So, why do you need us here?"

Hinamori jabbed him in the chest and smiled at Orihime. "Don't mind him!"

Toshiro glared at his secretary who was avoiding eye-contact with him. He rubbed his chest where Hinamori had hit him.

"Oh no worries!" Orihime replied. "I need to go buy some stuff for Rukia, so I was hoping you guys could watch over Rukia for a while." Her eyes suddenly lit up. "But if you guys are busy then-"

"Nope! Not at all! I'm sure Toshiro won't mind spending his time here!" Hinamori chirped cheerfully.

Toshiro opened his mouth to object, but his secretary was too quick.

Grabbing Orihime's arm, Hinamori began dragging her to the door. "I'll go with you to help carry all the stuff!" Opening the door and pushing Orihime along, Hinamori gave Toshiro a wink.

He growled at the woman as she shut the door. _What does she expect me to do with a sleeping Rukia?_ Toshiro sighed and stood awkwardly in Rukia's apartment. Looking around, he noticed that her taste in style had changed. There was hardly anything Chappy except for a few pillows here and there.

_When did she start to dislike Chappy and like leather couches?_ Toshiro pondered.

Sighing, he walked towards the hallway that he was sure led to Rukia's room. Toshiro didn't plan on doing anything to her, he just wanted to make sure that she was okay. After all, Hinamori did act as if Rukia's life was in peril, but he was beginning to seriously doubt that this was serious. He stepped in front of a closed door. The fact that "Rukia's Room" was pasted on the door with a bunch of Chappy stickers erased all doubt that this door did NOT lead to Rukia.

_I guess Chappy still has a place in her heart after all. _

Cautiously turning the knob, he eased the door open and peered in. Rukia lay tucked in with her sheets up to her neck and her back to the door. Her delicate breathing was slow and even. He opened the door slightly wider and slipped in. Before he could close the door, Rukia sat up and turned towards him.

"What do you plan on doing?" Rukia asked with a slight smirk.

"I-I was just checking up on you," Toshiro replied while avoiding Rukia's gaze. "How did you know it was me?"

Rukia rolled her eyes and slipped out of the bed, still clad in her work outfit. "My neighbors could have heard the conversation you three had."

"That's comforting," Toshiro commented. "So can they here when you and Ichigo are-"

Rukia shot him a glare. "Step out for a moment."

"Why should I?" Toshiro asked.

Fingering the hem of her blouse, she answered, "If you're a pervert, you'll stay."

"Maybe I am a pervert," Toshiro teased.

Rukia smiled and began pushing him out. "I have a boyfriend."

"Alright, alright," Toshiro said and walked out the door. He couldn't help but smile as the door slammed behind him.

10 minutes passed and Toshiro was sprawled comfortably on Rukia's couch impatiently waiting for her to get out. He stared at her light blue walls and traced the designs with his eyes.

"Okay, let's go."

Toshiro turned to see Rukia wearing white capris and a frilled light blue shirt. Her hair was pulled into a low side-bun and decorated with a white lace ribbon.

"Go?" Toshiro asked, confused.

"Yes."

Toshiro looked seriously at Rukia checking her up and down for any signs of physical or mental injuries. Returning his gaze to her face, he inquired, "Are you really okay?"

Rukia looked annoyed as she nodded her head "yes."

"Aren't you going to yell at me or something?" Toshiro continued to question.

She sighed and answered, "Look, you already apologized, and I respect that. I'm willing to try to reconcile our _friendship._" She waited a moment before adding, "And I need a distraction anyway."

Toshiro's eyes widened. "Seriously? I mean, I'm happy you're considering our friendship, but a distraction?"

"Okay, cruel but really, I need to take my mind off of something," Rukia admitted. "Just remember that I have a boyfriend."

Toshiro waved his hand nonchalantly. "Yeah, yeah, you've only said that like two-hundred times."

"I've only said it like two!" Rukia scoffed.

Rolling his eyes, Toshiro asked, "Well where do you want to go?"

Rukia bit her bottom lip in thought. "Umm, I think we should head over to that new Kisuke park." Her eyes brightened as she added, "Plus, they sell ice cream!"

"If you want ice cream, why don't we just go to an ice cream parlor?" suggested Toshiro.

"No! It's ice cream _and _a park! That's a double win!" Rukia huffed with a pout.

"Okay, just don't go crying on me again," Toshiro said, causing Rukia to glare at him yet again. He paused at the door. "What about Inoue-san and my secretary?"

"Don't worry about them," Rukia answered and she opened the door.

* * *

><p>"Rukia was right, this is a fallout deal," Rangiku pointed out.<p>

She and Ichigo had gone over the documents on the offer. After some bickering, they went over it again. Then again…and again.

Ichigo grunted in defeat. He cradled his head in his hands and refused to look at Rangiku.

"Call them and tell them that we won't be accepting their offer," Rangiku said.

"Fine," Ichigo replied. His head was aching from all the reading he had done.

Putting a hand on her hip, Rangiku stared at her boss. "What happened between you and Rukia?"

"Nothing," Ichigo answered curtly.

"It can't be nothing!" Rangiku countered. "You two have never fought over something like this!"

Ichigo sifted through the documents once more and remained silent. His frustration on the subject was beginning to bubble over, and he didn't want to take it out on his co-worker. He knew why his relationship with Rukia was beginning to have cracks on it. He just didn't want to own up to it and hurt her.

Taking her hand off her hip, Rangiku let out a loud sigh. "Buy some flowers and bring them over to her tonight." She moved to leave the office and threw over her shoulder, "Don't forget to apologize too."

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><p>Thank you for all of your reviews! Please R&amp;R this chapter! Constructive critism is always welcomed! Hope you'll wait for the "date!"<p> 


	7. Chapter 7

I Promise You

Chapter 7

Copyright Disclaimer Under Section 107 of the Copyright Act 1976, allowance is made for "fair use" for purposes such as criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching, scholarship, and research. Fair use is a use permitted by copyright statute that might otherwise be infringing. Non-profit, educational or personal use tips the balance in favor of fair use.

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><p>Solo Gal - Thank you for all of your great reviews! I really do apologize for this super late update, so I hope you'll forgive me!<p>

Guest - Ah, I'm sorry I can't put more HitsuRuki fluff and what not into more story. Don't worry, the confession will come up pretty soon, because I don't plan on making this story too long...I hope...

Denidene - Thank you for your support! No, please let me apologize for this extremely late update!

Vjlawrence - I'M NOT DEAD! Haha, good news right? Here's my update and thank you for the review!

Hollpaw888 - Yesh! Thank you for the compliments and for the review!

Thank you to all the readers as well!

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><p>Grrrrrrr! To be honest this was really hard to write in the past week and I'm very sorry that this update came soooooooooooo late! As some of you may know, I have finished up my other story Angels' Will, so I will now be able to focus my attention on this story! I do hope you enjoy this update and that you will continue to support me!<p>

Without further ado, let us begin!

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><p>"Here you go," Toshiro said as he held out an ice cream cone towards Rukia.<p>

"Thank you," Rukia said. She took the cone from him and watched as he sat down next to her.

The two sat in comfortable silence as they licked their ice cream and watched the people around them. Kids were happily running around the park with their parents watching nearby. Toshiro felt an unfamiliar longing tugging at his heart as he watched the children play.

Toshiro shook his head slightly before turning to Rukia. She remained oblivious to his stare and he took this time to look over her again. He inwardly sighed. _God, I'm still so in love with her._ "So, what's this about you needing a distraction?"

Rukia stopped licking her ice cream. She closed her eyes for a moment and answered, "It's really none of your business."

The words hurt Toshiro, but he just turned away and said, "I see." _I guess you don't trust me anymore._

Rukia stood up causing Toshiro to look back at her. "Come on, let's take a walk and see if we can find something to do," she stated with a small, but genuine smile.

Toshiro nodded and stood up as well. He gestured for her to lead the way.

The two started strolling around the stone pathways that led around the park. Walking down one pathway they felt a cool breeze rush past them. Rukia's eyes widened as she spotted a sparkling lake.

"Wow, it's so pretty," murmured Rukia.

Toshiro smiled. "Yes, beautiful really," he agreed, but the whole time he was looking at Rukia.

Rukia walked closer towards the water's edge and watched in silent joy as the wind created small ripples in the water. A pair of ducks floated in the water a few feet away, but once Toshiro joined her side they began to swim away. Rukia smiled and stood back a bit before tilting her head to look at Toshiro.

_So cute,_ Toshiro thought. He returned her smile and asked confusedly, "What?"

Rukia turned back to face the water. _If I get this off my chest, maybe I'll feel just a little bit better._ "Ichigo."

Toshiro immediately frowned. _Why bring up him?_

Rukia noticed Toshiro's silence and continued a bit awkwardly. "He…the distraction…"

Toshiro smiled bitterly once understanding what Rukia was trying to say. "You need a distraction from him?"

Rukia nodded. "Yes, I'm sorry."

"No, don't apologize," Toshiro snapped.

Rukia turned to face him again, taken aback by his harsh tone.

"After everything, I deserve…this," Toshiro added. He caught Rukia's gaze and said in a quiet tone, "I'll distract you for however long you like."

Rukia's eyes slightly narrowed. She understood that she was being cruel by using him, but she hadn't expected him to react like this. "Why are you being like this?"

"WATCH OUT!"

Before Toshiro could reply, a soccer ball came flying towards Rukia. Relying on his reflexes, he quickly grabbed Rukia's arm and pulled her towards him. The soccer ball flew by inches away from them and shot into the lake. Toshiro stumbled back and found that he couldn't keep his footing. He groaned as his back smacked into the grass behind him and as Rukia fell on top of him.

A small boy came running up to the pair. He immediately bowed towards the two. "I'm so sorry! My friend kicked the ball too hard."

Toshiro nodded towards the boy. "It's fine." He looked down at Rukia. "Are _you_ okay?"

Rukia's eyes were closed as she felt the body beneath her own. _Warm, strong…OH SHIT! _Rukia immediately sat up and shook her head to clear it of its thoughts. "Y-Yes, fine, I'm good," blurted Rukia as she moved to hide her evident blush.

Toshiro stared at her in amusement, only being able to make assumptions about what was going through her mind at the moment. He stopped, however, when he heard crying beside him.

Both Rukia and Toshiro turned to see the little boy on his knees crying an infinite amount of tears. Rukia immediately rushed over to him and started asking what was wrong. The little boy's friends soon joined the group to comfort their him.

"Why are you crying?" Rukia asked softly while patting the boy's head.

"My ball," he sniffed. "My father gave that ball to me."

Toshiro looked out at the lake and saw the soccer ball floating thirty or so feet away. He sighed and turned his attention back to the crying kid. Rukia had both her hands on either side of his cheeks while constantly saying comforting words. _I might regret this later,_ Toshiro thought to himself as he began slipping off his shoes and rolling up his pants. _I don't know how deep this water is…_

Rukia stopped talking when she heard a splash behind her. She turned around and was immediately surprised to see Toshiro wading through the water. He suddenly dived down and began swimming towards the ball that was continually drifting farther.

"See, he's going to go get your ball, so you don't need to cry anymore," Rukia reassured while ruffling the boy's almond brown hair.

The boy smiled through his tears. "Mmm-hmm!"

Toshiro frowned as the water soaked his clothing. The lake was relatively calm, so he had no trouble swimming out to the ball. He was glad that he decided to take off his shoes, though. Finally, the ball was in reach and Toshiro snatched it under one arm. He turned around and started the swim back to shore.

Rukia smiled as Toshiro tiredly inched his way out of the water. She held back her giggles as he sat down in the grass and held out the ball to the little boy. The boy took the ball and hugged it.

"Thank you mister!" he cried out happily.

Toshiro smiled as water dripped from his hair down onto his face. "No problem."

"I'm sorry Kazuko," another little boy said with a sheepish smile.

Kazuko, the boy who had been crying earlier, simply smiled. "It's alright."

The other boy blushed and muttered something before taking off. All of the boys, including Kazuko chased after him. The ball was soon being kicked around by the energetic children.

Rukia felt warm watching them play even though the wind had started to pick up. "Hey, To-"

"AH-CHOO!"

Rukia turned to see Toshiro rubbing his nose. "Oh! You're still wet!"

Toshiro gave Rukia one of those "really?" looks before sneezing again.

She smiled and bent down to help him up. "Come on; let's get you back to my apartment before you get even sicker."

Toshiro nodded, "Sounds good."

* * *

><p>"Ah, thank you so much Hinamori-san," said Orihime as the two walked into the entrance of Rukia's apartment building.<p>

"It's no problem really," Hinamori replied with a smile. _Hitsugaya-sama better have made progress._

Hinamori suddenly saw a flash of orange and immediately a wave of panic hit her. She quickly bumped into Orihime causing the groceries she was carrying to drop to the floor. Hinamoris dropped hers too and feigned innocence.

Orihime had let out a cry.

"Orihime-san?" called out a male voice.

"Look, Orihime-san, I'm really sorry, but I just totally forgot to do something!" Hinamori ran off and added, "I'll make this up to you later!"

Orihime stared at Hinamori's retreating figure, dumbfounded.

Hinamori rushed out the building and almost ran into another person. "Oh, I'm so-Hitsugaya-sama!"

Toshiro looked up at his secretary with an obviously annoyed expression.

"Wait, why are you wet?" Hinamori asked curiously, but before he could answer, she noticed Rukia standing behind him. "Eh, Rukia-chan!"

Rukia offered a small and somewhat strained smile towards Hinamori. She had been politely looking away during the interaction between the two. "Yes, Hinamori-san?"

Hinamori shook her head quickly before asking Rukia, "Is there a back entry way to get into your apartment?"

Rukia was confused, but she shook her head yes.

_Time is ticking, I got to get her up to her apartment!_ "Please, can you run up to your apartment as quick as you can?"

Rukia stared at Hinamori suspiciously. "Why?"

Toshiro watched as Hinamori gently pushed Rukia towards whatever direction the back entry way was at.

"Please! There's no time to explain and trust me there's a surprise waiting for you there," Hinamori said, trying her best to persuade Rukia. "Orihime is up there too!"

Thinking of Orihime, Rukia began fast-walking towards the back entry way.

"Thank you!" Hinamori called out to Rukia.

Toshiro glared at Hinamori. If he wasn't shivering so much he would give her a piece of his mind. Instead he decided to at least say goodbye to Rukia.

Hinamori grabbed his arm and started pulling him away. "Not now, I'll explain later."

"You better," Toshiro stated with a frown as he allowed himself to get dragged along.

* * *

><p>Rukia started running up towards her apartment room after leaving Hinamori and Toshiro. <em>What was that all about? She couldn't be jealous could she? After all, she was the one that forced him to stay behind in the first place.<em>

She opened her apartment door and stepped in before closing it. "Ori-" Rukia started to call out, but stopped. Her apartment was empty. Rukia wandered towards the kitchen and continued to look around. _Strange, didn't Hinamori-san say Orihime was here?_

Rukia started walking towards her apartment door when she heard footsteps and chatter. She opened her door just as Orihime was about to knock. Rukia was surprised to see her and even more surprised to see Ichigo standing right next to her.

Orihime held out the groceries in her arms to Rukia. "Here you go!"

Rukia took them and nodded her head slightly before staring at Orihime.

Orihime rubbed the back of her head awkwardly before saying, "Well I have to go, so I'll leave you two alone!" She waved at the couple and then said, "Don't kill each other, okay?"

Rukia and Ichigo stood in uncomfortable silence with neither one saying anything.

"Um, can I come inside?" Ichigo asked, finally breaking the silence.

Rukia looked up, "Huh, I mean yes, come in."

She turned and led the way into her apartment. Ichigo followed Rukia to the kitchen where she started to put away the groceries. He glanced at Rukia, but quickly looked away. Looking at her made him feel his guilt begin to resurface.

"So what brings you here?" Rukia inquired nonchalantly. She opened her fridge and began placing eggs and meat in it.

"Uh," Ichigo started, "I came to apologize."

_Another apology…_ "Oh, really," Rukia mumbled while she continued restocking her shelves.

"Rukia," Ichigo said. "Rukia, look at me please," Ichigo repeated, succeeding in getting Rukia to focus her attention on him. He walked over to her and gently pulled her into a hug. "You were right, it was a fallout deal. I'm really sorry; I don't know what's gotten into me lately." _No, I know exactly what's gotten into me._

Rukia smiled a bit and lightly punched him in the chest. "I forgive you."

Ichigo nestled his chin atop of Rukia's head, letting his body relax. "Thank you."

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><p>Toshiro sat on his bed, dressed in a set of dry clothes. He ran a hand through his slightly damp hair before shooting a glare at Hinamori. "Explain. Now."<p>

Hinamori sighed before sitting down on a chair. "You should be thanking me."

"Give me a reason to thank you," Toshiro shot back, not missing a beat.

"Listen, Ichigo was coming up to Rukia's apartment," Hinamori said. "What would he think if he saw another man and _his_ Rukia together alone in her apartment, hmm?"

Toshiro's eyes widened slightly. "Kurosaki?"

"Yes, him," Hinamori said. "I don't know why he was there, but I plan on asking Orihime-san later."

"I think he may have gone to apologize or something," Toshiro suggested dryly. _His apology probably got a better reaction than mine._

Hinamori furrowed her brows. "Apologize? Does that mean they're fighting?"

"I guess, I'm not too sure," Toshiro answered. "She just told me that she needed a distraction from him."

Hinamori pouted. "Well if he apologized than we're back at square one!" She placed a hand on her chin. "Wait, there's got to be a reason for why they're fighting."

"No, I'm sure they're fighting for fun," Toshiro stated while rolling his eyes.

Hinamori glared at him before getting up. "You take care of yourself now, boss. I'm going to go snoop around."

"Don't get into any trouble," Toshiro warned. "We are on a business trip."

"This body get in trouble?" Hinamori asked in an overly cute voice while making a dramatic motion that showed off her body. "Impossible."

"Get out." Toshiro snapped as he rubbed his temples to get that image out of his mind.

Hinamori smiled and stuck out her tongue before skipping out the door.

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><p>Thank you for reading! Please leave a review!<p>

I hope this chappy wasn't too terrible! I'm struggling with regaining the entire plot for this story since it's been so long...

I'm really sorry again!

Please look forward to my next update!

Adieu my lovelies,

Shiragiku


	8. Chapter 8

I Promise You

Chapter 8

Copyright Disclaimer Under Section 107 of the Copyright Act 1976, allowance is made for "fair use" for purposes such as criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching, scholarship, and research. Fair use is a use permitted by copyright statute that might otherwise be infringing. Non-profit, educational or personal use tips the balance in favor of fair use.

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><p>apple21 - Really! Thank you, that means a lot! Here is your update!<p>

Sabine *cough cough* Sabine_Knight (am I right?) - I'm glad you were able to read it though! Well, Ichigo's and Senna's situation is more like the consequences after a one-night stand. Yes, she is... Rangiku knows who Hitsugaya is since he is her husband's boss, and also knows a bit about his past with Rukia. Momo's a sneaky one, so I really can't say, but this chapter will! Weeeeellll, let's just say Rukia and Toshiro have quite a few more obstacles in store for them. Of course I still remember you! And thank you for your long reviews, they make me happy!

BIG THANKS TO THE FOLLOWERS AND FAVORITERS AND SECRET READERS TOO!

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><p>Ah, guys, I'm really sorry! I was planning on updating a little bit sooner, but I've had no access to my laptop and...well...sort of had an accident...but I'm healing! It's basically due to the fact that I'm a reckless person who does not think actions through too well and people should not let me outside...haha!<p>

But yeah, let's read!

And sorry for the short chappy, but I felt that this was needed to set the mood...yeah the mood!

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><p>After hanging out for another hour or two with Rukia, Ichigo decided to go back home. Rukia, of course, gave him a goodbye hug and saw him out the door. However, deep inside she felt somewhat lied too. Ichigo was acting stranger than normal.<p>

Even though his hugs were warm and tight, they felt restrained at the same time. Sometimes Rukia would catch him looking at her with pained eyes and when she asked about it he would laugh it off. Plus, when Rukia brought up Senna he just shut down.

Rukia plopped down on her couch and pulled out her phone. She began looking through her contacts aimlessly. _Wow, it's only seven,_ Rukia thought as she checked the time. _I could go to sleep, but then I'd probably lay awake for another hour or so anyway. _ She let her phone fall to the side as she leaned her head back on the couch while draping an arm over her eyes.

_Ring! Ring!_

Rukia jerked upright before reaching for her phone. Orihime's name shone bright on the screen. _Eh, didn't she just leave earlier?_

"Hello," Rukia answered, moving to lay horizontally on her couch.

"Oh, Rukia! I just have some questions to ask you," Orihime replied.

Rukia sensed worry and a bit of mischievousness coming from Orihime. "Um, sure. What's on your mind?" Rukia asked.

Orihime smiled into her phone before inquiring, "What happened with Hitsugaya-sama?"

It took a few moments for Rukia to fully register what Orihime said and once she did, she found herself blushing with a loss for words.

"Ru~kia!" Orihime teased.

"Nothing happened!" Rukia finally blurted out, obviously flustered. "He just went home, that's all." _With another woman that is._

Orihime chuckled at Rukia's suddenly slightly higher pitched voice. "Are you sure? I mean you two were all alone and-"

"I HAVE A BOYFRIEND," Rukia shouted in the phone's receiver.

Orihime winced and brought the phone slightly away from her ear, but smiled nonetheless. "Yes, I understand. Now that you mentioned it, what happened between you and Ichigo?"

Rukia let out an exasperated sigh, "Well he apologized-"

"That's good!" Orihime happily cut in.

"But-"

"But what? Isn't that a good thing?" Orihime interrupted once again.

"Orihime!" Rukia scolded.

"Alright, alright, I'm listening," chuckled Orihime.

"He…He kind of…I don't know Orihime," started Rukia. "He was…different."

Orihime went silent for a few moments, contemplating whether Rukia had an inkling at what was going on behind the scenes or not. "Um, oh, really?"

Rukia furrowed her brows. "Yeah, he was acting distant in way." She let out another sigh, "It's just really hard for me to explain."

Orihime looked at her phone when it let out a ring. "Uh, Rukia I'll see you tomorrow. I have another call coming in, sorry."

"No it's fine," Rukia quickly replied before the line went dead.

* * *

><p>Rukia gathered up the papers on her desk before putting them in a neat pile. She carefully placed them at the right corner of the desk. Rukia leaned back in her chair and closed her eyes. Ichigo was taking her out for lunch today and to top that off, he was being too sweet and nice. Not that Rukia really minded, but Ichigo was never over the top with his affections…until now that is.<p>

"Rukia," a voice called from the other side of her office's door.

Rukia recognized the voice immediately and put on a smile on her face. "I'm coming!" She sat up and grabbed her purse before going to open her door.

Ichigo immediately grabbed one of Rukia's hands and kissed the back of it. "Are you ready?"

Rukia blushed a little and nodded her head.

* * *

><p>"Okay, Senna, you need to spill," Orihime said seriously as she fingered the handle of her cup.<p>

The two friends had retreated to a small and relatively unknown café for their lunch break. The café was old and somewhat dark. Its atmosphere gave off a western feeling.

"It's positive," mumbled Senna with her eyes focused on the contents of her drink.

"What?" Orihime asked.

Senna suddenly looked up with her blood-shot eyes. "I'm pregnant, Orihime."

Orihime reached across the table to hold Senna's hand. She had nothing to say to this, but she felt the undeniable need to comfort her friend.

"What am I going to do?" Senna said hopelessly as tears began to collect in her eyes. "Rukia will never forgive me."

Orihime bit her lip in thought. "Senna," she called out softly while giving a comforting squeeze to her hand. "Listen, you need to tell Ichigo."

Senna's eyes widened in obvious fear and her mouth fell open. "W-What? How can I?" Tears started falling down both her cheeks.

Orihime frowned. "Think about the baby, Senna."

Senna's brow furrowed in weak anger. "I can get an abortion."

This time Orihime became angry. "Senna, how dare you think such a thought!"

Senna looked away.

"I know you…I know you've always loved Ichigo," Orihime said in a softer voice. "The baby you have doesn't deserve to have its life taken away. Ichigo needs to take responsibility too."

Senna pulled her hand away from Orihime and covered her face. "But Rukia…"

Orihime looked down sadly at her drink that no longer had steam coming out from it. "To be honest, I'm not sure how Rukia is going to take this."

Senna nodded weakly.

"Come on, let's head back," Orihime said while sitting up.

Senna wiped her tears and stood up too. She laid a few dollar bills on the table next to her unfinished drink before following Orihime out the door. As the two left, the bell above the door chimed.

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><p>Hinamori looked up as the two girls left, a smile spread across her face. She laughed to herself a little. "What a dirty, dirty, secret."<p>

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><p>I hope this chapter wasn't too disappointing!<p>

Please leave a review and wait for my next update!

Adieu!

-Shiragiku


	9. Chapter 9

I Promise You

Chapter 9

Copyright Disclaimer Under Section 107 of the Copyright Act 1976, allowance is made for "fair use" for purposes such as criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching, scholarship, and research. Fair use is a use permitted by copyright statute that might otherwise be infringing. Non-profit, educational or personal use tips the balance in favor of fair use.

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><p>Sabine - Ahhhh, thank you for this long review! Momo has many sources...haha. Yeah, I tried to not bash too much on her in this story...til much later that is... I know, poor Rukia! She's totally in the dark in this! Hmmm, I'm not too sure, but I don't think this story will be as long as Angels' Will. Ramblings are fun to read!<p>

Um, thank you to everyone who favorited, and what not!

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><p>"Ah, Hitsugaya-sama! Thanks for waiting!" called out Hinamori as she ran up to her boss who was sitting on a bench.<p>

Toshiro looked up from his phone to see his secretary coming towards him with a wide smile on her face. He nodded his head in acknowledgement to her as she took a seat next to him.

"I have quite the news for you," Hinamori stated while still smiling. She leaned a bit closer and whispered, "Trust me, you'll want to hear it."

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><p>It was a warm Saturday with very few clouds in the blue sky. The sun shone brightly down, but a cool breeze kept everybody comfortable from the heat. Rukia was happily milling about the shopping district, looking for anything that caught her eye. She was alone though, but still happy about it since she finally could have some time away from Ichigo.<p>

Ichigo had become her shadow in the past few days. To be honest, it was beginning to suffocate Rukia even though she knew that he meant no harm. She was busy admiring some purses through a window when something caught her eye in the glasses reflection.

_Eh? Toshiro?_ Rukia thought as she rapidly blinked her eyes and rubbed them with the back of her hand. Upon closer inspection she found that there was another person sitting next to him. That person was _really _close to him too. _Hinamori?_

* * *

><p>"Ichigo?" scoffed Toshiro. "Anything that concerns him isn't really important to me."<p>

Hinamori frowned at him. "Really? Even if it involves Rukia too?"

Toshiro tried to remain indifferent, but Hinamori noticed the tensing in his facial muscles.

Hinamori let out a sigh and crossed her legs before looking in the opposite direction of her boss. "Well, I guess it's fine if Rukia gets hurt, right?" She looked out of the corner of her eye to see Toshiro's eyes widen. "I mean, this time she probably won't even recover from the pain, but that's totally fine."

There was an awkward tense silence between the two before Toshiro finally spoke up.

"Fine," Toshiro muttered, annoyed. "Tell me what's going on."

Hinamori turned to him and smiled. "Of course, boss! But let's talk this over some food, I'm starving."

* * *

><p>Rukia watched as the two got up to leave and found herself suddenly following them. <em>What am I doing?<em> Rukia wondered as she began to blush. _It's not that I'm interested in Toshiro's personal…affairs,_ she continued to think, vainly trying to convince herself.

Rukia followed the pair as they both sat down at an outside table of a restaurant. _I need to get closer…_

"HATS! HATS FOR SALE! ALL SIZES AND COLORS!"

Rukia winced at the loud voice, but an idea popped into her head. She swiftly walked over to the vendor. "Hello, I would like one of your hats."

"OF COURSE!" the vendor yelled.

Rukia held her flinch as she picked out a large sun hat. A light purple ribbon was wound around it. "I'll take this one."

The vendor nodded and took Rukia's money before waving her on. He immediately started advertising out his wares again.

Rukia put the hat on and briskly made her way to the restaurant. _Again, why am I doing this?_

She sat down at a table that was two tables away with her back towards them. It was thankfully quieter around this restaurant which allowed Rukia to eavesdrop on the two. _Eavesdrop? Me? No, I'm just worried about Hinamori, _Rukia weakly reassured herself.

A waiter came to her table, asking what she wanted. Rukia quickly placed an order and then sat quietly, for Toshiro and Hinamori were beginning to talk. She unconsciously pulled down her hat a little lower.

* * *

><p>"So," started Toshiro, "what's going on?"<p>

Hinamori just smiled and put a spoonful of yogurt in her mouth. "Mm mm."

Toshiro glared at his secretary. "I don't have time for this."

Rukia frowned a bit. _Were they having a fight?_

"Alright, alright," Hinamori said, giving up and letting her spoon drop into her bowl. She looked at Toshiro with mischievous brown eyes. "What would you do if your _dearest_ went and got pregnant with another man, hmm?"

Toshiro furrowed his brows in slight confusion. "I don't know what you are talking about."

Hinamori picked up her spoon again and began twirling it around in the air before giving at a long lick. "Come on Hitsugaya-sama, put two and two together."

Toshiro shook his head. "This isn't a time for games, Hinamori-san."

She held the spoon away from her face. "I'm sure you are aware of a woman named Senna, right?"

Toshiro vaguely thought back to when he took Rukia home and when Ichigo took that girl home. He nodded his head after a moment.

_Woah! Senna? Why are they talking about her?_

Hinamori smiled as realization suddenly dawned on Toshiro's face.

"No," breathed Toshiro, as sudden anger pulsed through him.

Hinamori gave a small wicked smile. "Yes he did."

_He, he did what? Who is he?_ Rukia thought urgently as she strained her ears to listen for more.

The waiter came and dropped off her drink before leaving to tend to others.

"That…bastard!" cursed Toshiro, though he kept his voice low. _How could he have done that to Rukia? Does she even know?_

As if reading Toshiro's mind Hinamori answered, "No, she doesn't know. Her so-called _friends_ are talking about it behind her back. The poor girl." Hinamori went back for more yogurt. "Plus, to top it off, Senna's pregnant."

_Senna is pregnant? Since when?_ The wind suddenly picked up and Rukia desperately held her hat down.

Toshiro's eyes widened in disgust as he growled out, "That Kurosaki bastard better come out clean."

_I-Ichigo? Senna?_ Rukia was slowly putting the pieces together.

Hinamori put her hand on her chin in thought. "Well can you blame him? Senna's not that bad looking and plus she was drunk that night." She looked up at the sky in mock curiosity. "It's easy to get sucked in when you can take advantage of someone else."

Rukia almost felt like throwing up. _They had..SEX?_ She trusted him! She even told him she trusted him on that very night! Rukia quickly shook her head as she shakily got up. _No, I should give him the benefit of doubt first. They might not be telling the truth._

Rukia started walking to get away, but she stumbled and bumped into a table. Others looked over to see if she was alright and some asked her. Both Toshiro and Hinamori looked over as well, but Rukia quickly regained her composure and left.

Toshiro turned back to Hinamori. "Do you have Rukia's number?"

Hinamori shook her head. "No, but I could get it. When do you need it?"

Toshiro stood up and checked the time on his watch. "As soon as possible."

"Got it," Hinamori said as she too stood up. "I'll start working on it."

Toshiro looked back at his secretary. "Good, I have to go to a meeting now, so I'll be expecting it after I'm done."

Hinamori nodded and smiled.

* * *

><p>Rukia flopped onto her bed, still wearing her street clothes, and closed her tired eyes. <em>What I heard today…<em>Rukia began to think, but stopped. _Does that mean Orihime knows about this? Hinamori said something about "friends" knowing it._ Rukia pulled out her phone, thinking of calling Orihime, but decided against it. To be honest, she just didn't want to know right now. _But this information might explain why Ichigo has been acting so out of character._

Suddenly Rukia punched her bed out of sheer anger and she brought her phone close to her as tears began to fall from her eyes. She sloppily wiped her cheeks before burying her face in a pillow and letting her sobs go free. _I'm in so much pain. I can't believe Senna and Ichigo…I just can't believe…_ Her heart clenched in pure cold agony as the sobs wrecked her body.

Her phone started to ring, momentarily drawing her out of her sad state. She looked at the ID through a screen of tears before throwing her phone off her bed and onto the floor. _Stupid Ichigo! _

Rukia awoke to the sound of her phone ringing. It annoyed her out of her sleep and then she tiredly realized that she had thrown her phone somewhere. Rukia slipped off her bed and went blindly around looking for her phone. Once finding it, she quickly picked up the call without seeing who was calling.

She rubbed her puffy sore eyes and mumbled a tired 'hello.'

The other voice chuckled on the other end before saying, "I'm sorry, did I wake you up?"

Rukia shook her head 'no.' "Who are you?" she asked, finally noticing that she had no idea who was calling her.

"Oh, sorry Rukia, it's your _friend_ Toshiro Hitsugaya."

Rukia spluttered and almost dropped her phone. "T-Toshiro? How did you get my number?"

"Well, that's quite a story, but I have something to ask of you," he replied.

_Is he going to say something about Ichigo? _ "Um, sure, what is it?" Rukia asked, a bit curious.

"Can you come over to my place next week?"

Rukia blushed a little. "I guess…I mean I don't really mind."

"Great! I guess I'll see you then!" Toshiro had happily stated.

"Mmm, yeah. Goodbye Toshiro," Rukia said.

"Bye Rukia," Toshiro whispered, sending shivers down her spine.

Rukia hung up and leaned against her bed. "I don't know what to do," she said aloud. "I don't know who to trust anymore."

Her phone lit up once more making her tilt her gaze downwards. Seeing the caller ID made her frown, but she decided to pick it up anyway. "Hello."

"Ah, Rukia! I've been calling you for a long time now! How come you haven't picked up?" Ichigo's urgently asked.

_Because for some reason, I find myself hating you. _"I'm sorry, I fell asleep," Rukia calmly replied, yawning afterwards. _Should I ask him now?_

"Are you okay? Feeling sick?" Ichigo continued to question.

His concern didn't feel as real as before and it made Rukia feel on edge. "Yes, fine. I was just tired."

Ichigo let out a sigh of relief. "So, did you want to do something tomorrow?"

"No, I actually have something planned, so I'm sorry," Rukia quickly replied. _Let me just have some time for myself._

"Oh, well that's okay. I'll see you at work!"

"Of course," Rukia replied before abruptly ending the call.

She stared at her phone. So many questions were running through her mind. However, through the turmoil of emotions that were filling her, she found herself looking forward to seeing Toshiro.

* * *

><p>Yay? Good?<p>

Haha, thank you for reading! I hope the restaurant part wasn't too confusing!

Leave a review!

Uh, I have school...starting tomorrow...so here is my fair warning...

Updating is going to be a bit hard, I have quite a hefty schedule this year.

Anyways, I hope you all liked this chapter and 'til next time!

Adieu!

-Shiragiku


	10. Chapter 10

I Promise You

Chapter 10

Copyright Disclaimer Under Section 107 of the Copyright Act 1976, allowance is made for "fair use" for purposes such as criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching, scholarship, and research. Fair use is a use permitted by copyright statute that might otherwise be infringing. Non-profit, educational or personal use tips the balance in favor of fair use.

* * *

><p>Guest - Thank you! I've tried to make Momo a little more...I don't know...nicer in this story. Yes, a bit cheesy I have to admit, but it gets the work done! Thank you for all the encouragement!<p>

* * *

><p>"What do you want?"<p>

Senna bit her lip nervously for a second before quickly steeling herself. She stared Ichigo straight in the eyes. "We need to talk."

Orihime had been pushing and encouraging Senna all week to tell Ichigo about her pregnancy. The week had flown by much quicker than Senna expected. Her job was only made harder because Ichigo avoided her like the plague. It hurt so much to see that he wouldn't even spare her a measly glance.

"Aren't we talking right now?" Ichigo spat.

Ichigo's attitude was starting to rub Senna the wrong way and she was suddenly fighting to keep herself calm. "In a more private place, Ichigo."

Ichigo let out a loud sigh as he ran a hand through his hair. He looked at Senna with tired eyes. He didn't know how long he could keep up this act with Rukia. "Fine." He looked around nervously in their workplace. It was the early evening, but most everyone had gone home. Rukia had left early saying she had something to do.

"Thank you," Senna said in relief. Her shoulders immediately drooped, all her pent up tension being released with her words.

* * *

><p>"Wow, I feel like I've been out of the loop!" whined Rangiku.<p>

Orihime laughed a little. "Yeah, you've missed some things." She looked away to hide her expression.

Rukia pouted at her two friends. "Come on you guys, I really need to pick out an outfit!"

Rukia, once leaving work, headed straight home to raid her closet. She and Toshiro had planned to meet tomorrow and she was suddenly haunted by the thought that she _needed_ to look good that night. Rukia called Orihime and Rangiku over to help her with her little conundrum.

Rangiku smirked. "I don't understand Rukia. Who is this mystery friend?"

Rukia slightly blushed. "H-He's just a friend Rangiku-san, nothing more."

Rangiku's smirk widened. "And Ichigo? Did he agree with this?"

"I really don't think that this concerns him," Rukia replied sharply. Her eyes had suddenly darkened and her facial expression hardened. "It's just a meeting with a friend."

Rangiku held up her hands while saying, "Alright, alright."

All three girls looked up when they heard knocking.

"Ah, I'll be right back," Rukia said as she headed out the door.

Once Rukia was gone, Orihime gave Rangiku a hard look.

"What?"

Orihime suddenly sighed. "You really have been out of the loop, Rangiku-san."

Rangiku furrowed her brow in confusion. "Is there something wrong between Rukia and Ichigo?"

Orihime looked at the ground. "Um…yes. There is something wrong."

Before Orihime could say anything more, Rukia walked back into the room.

"Eh, what's with the faces? Did you guys have a fight while I was gone?" Rukia jokingly asked while putting her hands on her hips.

Orihime laughed. "No, we were just bored."

Rukia raised an eyebrow. "Uh huh. Well I'll be right back, my neighbor needs help with something."

Rangiku nodded. "That's fine, we'll just pick out some outfits for you." She gave Rukia a suggestive smile.

Rukia blushed and threw Rangiku an embarrassed look before hurrying out of the room.

"You were saying, Orhime?" Rangiku asked as she heard Rukia leave the apartment. She crossed her legs and leaned forward expectantly.

"Look, I'm just trying to ease Rukia out of her relationship with Ichigo," Orihime said bluntly. She immediately looked guilty after saying those words and covered her face.

Rangiku frowned. "What are you saying? Is Ichigo cheating or something?"

Orihime bit her lip. "You…well yes. He did something that ended up having a lot of consequences."

"Spit it out. We're both Rukia's friends here," Rangiku spat, obviously annoyed.

"Senna's pregnant!" blurted Orihime. Tears started to fill her eyes. "Ichigo slept with Senna on the night of your party. Obviously they didn't use any protection."

Rangiku's eyes widened. "I…I had no idea. I thought things would be okay." She immediately thought back to when Rukia had told Ichigo to take Senna home. She had trusted him. Her eyes lit up in realization. "This explains why he's been so weird lately with Rukia."

Orihime nodded. "But tonight Senna should be telling him."

"What about Rukia?" Rangiku asked angrily. "Has anyone told her?"

"No, she doesn't need something else to worry about right now," Orihime muttered.

"Are you kidding?" Rangiku inquired while standing up. "That's _her_ boyfriend and _her _bestfriend!"

Orihime remained silent and was not meeting Rangiku's eyes.

"Well I'm telling her," Rangiku said, causing Orihime to look at her. "She deserves to know."

Orihime stood and quickly grabbed Rangiku's arm. "No! You can't!"

"Why not?"

"Senna is planning on telling her…tonight," Orihime stated.

Rangiku looked taken aback. "But you said Senna was telling Ichigo…she's telling both!?"

* * *

><p>"We're here," Ichigo said as he walked into his apartment and threw his jacket on the couch. He looked back at Senna. "What do you want to tell me?"<p>

Senna looked nervously around. The walls, the furniture, everything reminded her of what they did that night. She was disgusted with herself. Senna walked further into the room and stood awkwardly next to the wall. She was too uncomfortable to sit down.

"Senna," Ichigo called out in a gruff voice. Now that they were alone, Ichigo felt more inclined to be nice to her. He walked over and put both of his hands on her shoulders. She looked up at him with tears falling from her eyes. Shock filled him. "W-Why are you crying?"

Senna hurriedly wiped away her tears and brushed off Ichigo's hands. She didn't register the pain in his eyes at her actions. She turned away so that her back faced him. "Look Ichigo, okay, this isn't all that fun for me too."

"What are you talking about?" Ichigo asked. He folded his arms and stared at the back of her head.

"Ichigo," Senna choked out. Her shoulders had begun to tremble. She might as well get this over with. "I'm pregnant."

Ichigo just stood there for a few seconds, dumbfounded. It wasn't until Senna started rushing towards his door that he found his voice. "Senna!"

He closed the door as Senna opened it and trapped her against it. Tears poured down her face and sobs wrecked her body. He quickly pulled her into a tight hug.

"I-Ichigo," started Senna.

He comfortingly rubbed the back of her head. "Shhh, no I'm sorry." He held her tighter. "I'm so sorry Senna. I honestly had no idea."

Senna pulled away a little to look up at his face. "Rukia is coming over."

Ichigo's eyes widened. "What, why?"

"We have to tell her," Senna said through choked out sobs.

Ichigo's face hardened. He stared at the door behind Senna. His arms around her were loose.

"I love you."

Ichigo's head cleared itself at those words. He looked down but Senna refused to meet his gaze. She was still crying. He gently took her chin and lifted her head up so he could see her face. "Say it again."

Senna looked surprised. "I-I love y-you, Ichigo."

Ichigo couldn't help himself, he leaned down and gently captured Senna's lips. It was a short chaste kiss, but its meaning was hard to ignore. "I love you too."

* * *

><p>Rukia looked at her phone suspiciously. <em>I thought we agreed that I was busy today,<em> Rukia thought. Ichigo better have something important to tell her.

"Hey, make yourselves comfortable! I'll be gone for a while!" Rukia shouted into her apartment. After waiting to hear her friends' acknowledgement, Rukia closed the door and began leaving her apartment complex.

She stepped out of the building and shivered as the cool night breeze welcomed her. Rukia pulled her light purple jacket around her a bit tighter. She put one foot into the street and hailed down a taxi. _I'll try to make this as quick as possible._

* * *

><p>"Are you sure? I don't want you to feel like you have to do this," Senna whispered quietly.<p>

Ichigo pulled her closer and placed his head on top of hers. They were comfortably sitting on the couch though their nerves spoke otherwise. "I am sure."

Senna pulled away. "I don't understand though, how could you lo-"

_Knock! Knock!_

The pair jumped apart and Ichigo awkwardly rubbed the back of his head. He got up when he heard more knocking. "Coming!"

Senna sat deadly still. Her mind was frozen as she stared blankly at the space in front of her. Fear masked her face and she flinched when she heard the door open.

Rukia stared up at Ichigo, annoyance written all over her face. "What is this about?"

Ichigo felt obliged to greet her with a hug like he always did, but this time he just slowly stepped aside. "Please sit down, we uh need to talk."

Rukia looked at him as if he had lost his marbles. Even she was expecting him to give her a hug. Rukia walked on in nonetheless, but she stopped cold in her tracks when she spotted Senna. Ichigo came up from behind Rukia and gave her a friendly push to sit down before doing so himself. Rukia slightly shook her head. Her body moved itself to take a seat.

Rukia looked hard at both her boyfriend and her best friend. She felt pit form in her stomach as she recalled what she had heard the other day. "Is there something you two want to tell me?"

Both Senna and Ichigo looked at each other. Ichigo nodded and Senna turned back to Rukia.

"Rukia, I…" began Senna. "I'M SO SORRY!" She burst into tears after her exclamation.

Rukia was immediately by her side. "What? What are you sorry for?" Rukia asked in a hushed voice as she comforted her friend.

Ichigo looked on awkwardly. He stared at the two most important women in his life, yet he found that he could only love one of the raven-heads. Frowning, he slowly shook his head.

Senna looked at Rukia through teary eyes. "Rukia, I'm pregnant…with Ichigo's child."

Rukia froze. Suddenly everything she saw came crashing down before her. Her heart felt crushed and she let her arms drop from Senna. _So it was true._ Tears welled up in her eyes as well, but anger dominated any sadness she had. Rukia abruptly stood up causing Senna to fall back a bit. Rukia glared down at her friend. "You…how could you?"

Senna got on her knees. "No you-"

"And you! I trusted you!" Rukia spat out at Ichigo as she turned sharply to face him.

Ichigo flinched. "Rukia I-"

"SHUT UP!" Rukia yelled.

Her tears had finally spilled over. She hurriedly backed away from either of them. Senna was a sobbing mess, but Rukia could not feel any sympathy.

"How could both of you keep this from me?" Rukia continued. "And Orihime, did she know too?" Rukia looked at Senna who dropped her gaze. Ichigo just stood with wide, shocked eyes when Rukia glared at him. Rukia laughed crazily. "What? Did everyone know except for me?" She placed a hand to her chest and looked up towards the ceiling. "You guys aren't my friends if you've been hiding this _disgusting_ fact for so long."

Upon hearing this, Senna shot to Rukia's feet. "No, please Rukia!" Senna begged.

Rukia pushed Senna away with indifference. "I hate you." She walked towards the door. "I hate all of you."

Ichigo broke his silence. "You are being unreasonable, Rukia."

Rukia laughed again as she opened up the door. "And you are an asshole." With that said, Rukia left and slammed the door on her now ex-friend and ex-boyfriend.

* * *

><p>Orihime and Rangiku decided to leave Rukia's apartment. After waiting for a while, both came to the conclusion that Rukia would be staying over at Ichigo's. Hopefully everything went over well.<p>

"I have a bad feeling about this," Rangiku murmured as she and Orihime exited the building.

"Don't, I'm sure everything will be fine," Orihime assured. "We'll talk to Rukia tomorrow."

Rangiku nodded and waved good-bye as the two parted ways.

* * *

><p>Rukia sat under a tree. She had buried her head in her arms and was in the fetal position. Rukia had no idea where she was, she only knew that she was away from everyone. As she sat alone in broken-heartedness, she wished someone else would come along to comfort her.<p>

Rukia found herself wishing for Toshiro.

* * *

><p>Meh...not too happy with this chapter.<p>

But, please leave a review and thank you for taking the time to read this!

I'm sorry for the late update, but I've been very busy with school and what not.

Anyway, I think I'll be wrapping up this story pretty soon...

Thanks for all the support!

Adieu!

-Shiragiku


	11. Chapter 11

I Promise You

Chapter 11

Copyright Disclaimer Under Section 107 of the Copyright Act 1976, allowance is made for "fair use" for purposes such as criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching, scholarship, and research. Fair use is a use permitted by copyright statute that might otherwise be infringing. Non-profit, educational or personal use tips the balance in favor of fair use.

* * *

><p>SabineKnight - You're welcome and thank you for the review! Who knows...maybe Rukia won't be found...*dramatic music*<p>

* * *

><p>No one came for Rukia. She sat alone for hours on. When the sun began to peek over the horizon, Rukia slowly and numbly got to her feet. She tiredly trudged home.<p>

As she ambled down the empty streets to her apartment complex, Rukia couldn't help but not feel…anything. She was emotionally drained and bags hung onto the bottom of her eyes. _How can so many things go wrong in one night?_

* * *

><p>"Did you tell her?"<p>

"…"

"Senna!" Orihime said desperately through her phone.

"I did," Senna finally confirmed after a few more moments of silence.

Orihime let out a sigh, but her shoulders remained tense. "And?"

Senna waited for tears to fill her eyes, but they stayed away. She couldn't cry anymore. "She was mad." _More than mad, she wrote us off her friend list._

Orihime nodded. "I don't see why not, but is she okay? Did she stay over? Senna, Rukia didn't come home last night, so I was wondering if she stayed over Ichigo's place."

Senna's brows furrowed in confusion. "What? No, she left in a hurry." Worry began to crease Senna's face as realization was beginning to dawn on her. "Wait, let me try calling her."

Orihime sensed Senna's growing panic and found herself feeling the same sense of urgency. "No, wait Se-"

Senna ended the call and quickly dialed Rukia's number. _Please pick up._ She bit her lip nervously as she waited to hear Rukia's voice.

"Hello-"

"Rukia!" cried out Senna, but she quickly frowned in dismay.

"-is Rukia Kuchiki. Sorry I couldn't answer my phone. Please leave a message and I'll get back to you!"

Senna held the phone away from her ear. Rukia's voice was so carefree and happy. Senna closed her eyes, but still no tears would come.

* * *

><p>Rukia had only just plopped herself on the couch when her doorbell rang. She stayed still and stared up at the ceiling blankly. The doorbell rang again and the person began knocking on her door.<p>

Giving up, Rukia dragged herself off the couch and headed over to her door. She opened it after fumbling a few times. Rukia looked surprised when Hinamori greeted her with a smiling face.

Hinamori's smile faltered when she saw the kind of condition that Rukia was in. She noted the extra paleness in the Kuchiki's skin, the loss of luster in her eyes and her blank expression. Hinamori grabbed both of Rukia's shoulders and leaned down to look at Rukia better, noticing the dark circles under her eyes. "Eh, Rukia-san, are you okay?"

Rukia shook her head and brushed off Hinamori's hands. She turned around and walked into her apartment. "I'm fine."

Hinamori pouted. She knew exactly what had happened, but she wouldn't let Rukia know of it. Hinamori pulled out her phone to check the time as she followed Rukia. _I'd say I have at least ten minutes. _

Hinamori closed the door behind her and went into Rukia's living room to see that she was sitting on the couch. "Rukia-san."

Rukia gave a sideway glance at Hinamori before returning to stare at the wall. "I'm sorry, Hinamori-san. I'm a little tired."

"Aren't we all," Hinamori agreed as she sat down right next Rukia.

Rukia turned to look at Hinamori, blinking a few times. "Um, what?"

Hinamori let out a laugh. "You're seeing my boss today aren't you?" She smiled at the smaller girl, giving her most sincere expression.

Rukia nodded, not smiling or frowning. "Yes, but I think I'll call it off."

Hinamori immediately shook her head in an exaggerated motion. "No! He would be so depressed for the rest of the day!"

Rukia allowed herself to smile a little. "I'm sure he would be fine."

Hinamori discreetly looked at the clock hanging on the wall. _Not much time._ She grabbed both of Rukia's hands and held them in hers. Hinamori bowed her head as she pleaded, "Please don't cancel on my boss!"

Rukia looked shocked, but color began returning to her cheeks. _Does Toshiro really want to see me?_ "I don't know." She thought back to her probably still messy room. She hadn't picked anything to wear today.

Hinamori's head snapped back up and she stared hopefully into Rukia's eyes. "How 'bout you come to my place, Rukia-san? I could help you get ready!"

Rukia silently contemplated Hinamori's offer for a second. She suddenly decided that it would be better than having to deal with her "friends" that she was sure were on their way to harass her. "Are you sure Hinamori-san?"

"Yes!" Hinamori stood up quickly, bringing Rukia with her. "Come on! Let's go right now!" Hinamori was pulling along a flustered Rukia as she added, "We have so much to do and so little time!" She took this chance to look at her phone. _Two minutes to spare._ "Do you mind if we take the back way? I parked my car out there."

Rukia looked slightly confused for a moment before nodding. She wasn't going to ask why Hinamori had parked her car out back. "I don't mind. What car do you drive?"

"A nice sleek black one," Hinamori replied with a hint of mystery in her voice.

Rukia chuckled a bit. "Seems fitting."

Hinamori smiled and the two girls began leaving the building.

* * *

><p>"Gosh, I hope she hasn't done something stupid!" Rangiku breathed out as she and Orihime raced to Rukia's apartment.<p>

"No, I think she would allow us to talk first," Orihime said.

Both Rangiku and Orihime stopped outside Rukia's apartment complex. Neither girl noticed a black car driving past behind them. It was gone in a matter of seconds.

Orihime turned to Rangiku. "Come on, let's go see if she's in."

Rangiku nodded and both began heading up the stairs.

* * *

><p>"She's not here," stated Senna.<p>

"No shit she's not."

Senna glared up at Ichigo. They may have confessed to each other, but Senna still cared deeply for Rukia. "Be nicer."

Ichigo blushed a little.

Both Senna and Ichigo had gone to their workplace to search for Rukia. Although Ichigo took quite a bit of convincing, Senna eventually got him to go. They really needed to apologize.

* * *

><p>"Rukia? Rukia! It's Orihime and Rangiku!" Orihime called through the door while knocking on it.<p>

"I don't think she's home," Rangiku pointed out.

Orihime stopped pounding on the door and turned around and sighed.

"Hello?"

Both orange-heads looked up to see a man around their age standing a little way down the hallway they were in. He was tall and slimly built with spiked brown hair sitting on top of his head. His green eyes stared at the two women suspiciously.

"Um, do you need something?" he asked.

"Have you seen Rukia, our friend, lately? She lives in this apartment," Rangiku stated. She stared hopefully at the man.

He looked up towards the ceiling and furrowed his brows in thought. "No, I don't think I have. She just helped me move some stuff yesterday and then went out." After a short pause he added, "She hasn't return yet. Is something wrong?"

Orihime looked distraught at his words. "No…nothing is wrong."

Concern crossed his face. "Hey, I'm worried about her too. Tell me what's going on."

Rangiku let out an irritated sigh before grabbing Orihime. "Look, it's fine. We were just asking." She pulled Orihime after her as she left the floor.

* * *

><p>Rukia looked in awe at Hinamori's apartment. It was much bigger than her own, with a spiraling staircase leading up to the second floor. There was an open kitchen and an island at the center of it. The living room was in pristine condition, its couches and tables looking as if they had been meticulously cleaned everyday. Hinamori dropped off her purse on the island and made for the stairs.<p>

"Come on! I've got a lot of clothes up in my room!" Hinamori cheerfully called out.

Rukia nodded and followed Hinamori. "Your apartment is so nice, Hinamori-san."

Hinamori reached the top of the stairs and turned around to smile at her guest. "Thank you! Hitsugaya-san was very generous when he rented this out for me."

Rukia bit her lip at that. She still wasn't too sure of Hinamori's and Hitsugaya's relationship. "Oh, how good for you."

Hinamori quickly caught on to Rukia's lack of confidence. "Mmm-hmm, but you know what?" she asked while opening the door to her bedroom and ushering Rukia inside.

Rukia stood baffled before Hinamori's room. It was decorated with vibrant shades of red, all very eye-catching. "W-What?"

Hinamori chuckled. "He only has eyes for this one girl." She skipped to her closet and threw it open. Hinamori looked over her shoulder. "Let's see what will look good on you."

After many changes of colorful, loose and tight clothing, Rukia and Hinamori finally settled on an outfit. Rukia stood in front of Hinamori's full-body mirror. Her skirt was half long on her left leg but short on her right. The longer left skirt was ruffled and reached the floor where it pooled a little around Rukia's slim ankles. The top had off-the-shoulder sleeves and the collar curved down to reveal the top of Rukia's breasts. The entire dress was light purple.

Hinamori pressed both of her hands to her cheeks. "Oh my gosh…It's a little long, but _damn_ does it show off your curves!" She walked around Rukia with a hand under her chin. She nodded as she said, "And a little peek at your breasts!"

Rukia blushed and turned her head to watch Hinamori inspect as she shyly stood still.

Hinamori gave Rukia a sly look. "You'll have my boss drop dead with this dress."

Rukia turned even redder and was about to reject the idea when the doorbell rang.

Hinamori looked up, surprised for a second. "Ah, you stay here, I'll go get the door."

Rukia nodded and watched her leave before turning her gaze back to the mirror. She smiled to herself as she ran her hands down her sides. _It does look good._

* * *

><p>"Wah? Hitsugaya-san?" Hinamori greeted confusedly.<p>

Toshiro smiled a bit. "Uh, you said to come over right?" Hinamori continued to look baffled at his appearance, so he added, "Rukia's here, I assume?"

"Oh right!" Hinamori finally replied. She lowered her voice, "She's upstairs, so be quiet."

Toshiro nodded and then followed Hinamori to her living room. He sat down and watched as his secretary went to her kitchen to get a plate of pre-prepared snacks. His gaze drifted up the spiral staircase, wondering what he would see coming down.

"Hitsu-WAAAAH!"

Toshiro looked shocked when he felt another pair of lips on his. The two stared at each other in horror before a choked gasp caused the two to pull away. Hinamori jumped back and looked towards the staircase to see Rukia with hurt eyes staring back at her.

Rukia came rushing down the stairs and started heading towards the door. "I'm so sorry, I didn't know."

Toshiro immediately stood up. "No, Rukia it's not what you think-"

"No, no, no, I fully understand…Hitsugaya-san," breathed Rukia as she fumbled with the doorknob before finally getting it open. She dashed out without single glance back.

Hinamori threw Toshiro a look. "Go after her you idiot!" Toshiro stared at her. "Run, NOW!"

Toshiro nodded, finally catching his secretary's drift and bolting out the door.

_Rukia, let me explain!_

* * *

><p><em><em>And the chase begins!

I hope everyone enjoyed this chapter! I apologize for the super late update,

but I'm just very busy with school and clubs and stuff!

Please forgive me!

'Til next time!

Adieu, my lovelies!

-Shiragiku


	12. Chapter 12

I Promise You

Chapter 12

Copyright Disclaimer Under Section 107 of the Copyright Act 1976, allowance is made for "fair use" for purposes such as criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching, scholarship, and research. Fair use is a use permitted by copyright statute that might otherwise be infringing. Non-profit, educational or personal use tips the balance in favor of fair use.

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><p>Sabine Knight - Thank you for your support! Haha, I'm sorry, my writing style...ah!<p>

Guest - Haha, here's the chapter! Thank you for the review!

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><p>I don't know, I think I might be wrapping this one up soon...<p>

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><p><em>My heart feels too heavy now. Can these men not let it rest easy!<em> Rukia thought as tears began to stream down her face. She ran into the elevator, and through the closing doors, she glimpsed Toshiro running towards her. _Please close faster._ The elevators seemed to hear her internal plea and quickly shut their doors before beginning to bring Rukia to the lobby.

Rukia held a hand to her chest and leaned against the back of the elevator. She slowly slid to the floor and waited for the comforting ding that would signal her arrival to her destination. _I hope Toshiro doesn't take the stairs._

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><p>"Shit!" Toshiro yelled as he slammed his fist against the closed elevator doors. He whipped around and dashed for the stairs, not wasting too much time wallowing in despair.<p>

He suddenly regretted giving Hinamori a tenth floor room as he began descending the long flight of stairs. Toshiro was pretty fit, though, so the first three minutes of rapid stair descending did not faze him. While holding on to the railing he looked at his watch. _Wait, just wait Rukia._

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><p>The elevator dinged and the doors began to slowly open. Rukia jerked to her feet and walked out. She looked around at the brightened lobby, but was broken from her focus when she heard a voice calling out to her.<p>

"Miss! Hold that door please!"

Rukia looked back as the elevator was closing and quickly stuck out her hand to stop the doors. They sensed the obstruction and withdrew. Rukia held onto the door as a young lady ran to her.

"Oh, thank you so much!" she said as she brushed her brown hair out of her eyes.

"It's no problem, really," Rukia replied with a small smile.

Rukia almost choked up as she let the stranger pass her into the elevator. The lady had such comforting warmth that Rukia was tempted to just let her problems spill out to the stranger. However, that wouldn't do, for she had to leave. She looked up from her daze to see the stranger smile at her through the crack of the closing elevator doors.

She turned and walked towards the front of the lobby, picking up her pace as she went. The doors were only a few feet away from her when she heard the sound of loud footsteps behind her. Her mind raced and she suddenly broke into a sprint, covering her hands over her ears.

"Rukia! Rukia!" Toshiro called out desperately, ignoring the stares he was receiving.

He chased her as she burst out the doors and ran into the night. Toshiro could not believe how fast she could run and was suddenly afraid of losing sight of her. He roughly pushed aside people to catch up to her.

Snow was falling from the black sky as Rukia continued to run. All she could think about was getting away. She dared to look over her shoulder, but that small lapse caused her to bump into someone. Rukia let out a gasp, expecting to fall, but felt strong arms wrap around her to balance her.

The arms pressed her against the person's chest. The warmth from another human being was welcoming to Rukia's neglected senses and she found herself unconsciously leaning into the figure. She froze, however, when Toshiro's voice broke through her thoughts.

"Let her go."

Rukia looked up to see a face she hoped to never see again. "I-Ichigo!" She pushed him away and stumbled back once again. Rukia stopped short to allow herself space between Toshiro as well.

"Rukia, come here," Toshiro said as he held out his hand.

Rukia's tear-filled eyes shook as she placed her hands closer to her chest.

"No, who are you?" Ichigo asked angrily. He turned to Rukia. "We're sorry Rukia! Please come back to us!"

Rukia shook her head. She didn't want either of them right now. "N-No."

Toshiro had walked up and quickly embraced Rukia in his arms while she was distracted by Ichigo. "Rukia, please."

Rukia broke out in sobs as she tried to break away from Toshiro. "Let me go!"

Ichigo was about to tear Rukia away from the other man, but stopped when Rukia suddenly threw her arms around the said person. He stared, shocked, and was only brought back to reality when he felt his arm being tugged. Ichigo looked down to see Senna.

"Ichigo, let's leave," she said softly as she watched her friend.

Ichigo reluctantly nodded.

Toshiro rubbed the back of Rukia's head comfortingly as he murmured gentle words. "I'm so sorry Rukia. Please forgive me." His heart tightened with every sob Rukia emitted. People were starting to stare once again, so he pulled back a little to look Rukia in the eyes. "I'm going to take you to my place."

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><p>Rukia sat awkwardly on the couch, twiddling her thumbs as her sore and puffy eyes looked towards the floor. She sniffed a couple of times as she waited. A cup was presented in front of her, reminding her of a couple of weeks before when she was presented with a water bottle and a couple of pills. She tentatively took the warm cup and placed it in her lap.<p>

Toshiro sat down across from Rukia and placed his chin on top of his hands. Rukia was finally here, yet he had no idea why she suddenly changed her mind. Wasn't she running away from him a few hours before?

"Rukia-"

"I'm sorry," Rukia cut in. She slowly looked up to meet Toshiro's gaze. "I shouldn't have gotten any stupid ideas when you were already with Hinamori-san."

Toshiro looked astonished. "No li-"

"Please, I understand!" Rukia continued as she shook her head side to side. "I was wrong in my feelings for you. I was wrong in thinking you still loved me." Rukia gripped her cup tightly.

Toshiro was starting to get annoyed. "Ru-"

Rukia stood up abruptly, causing the contents in her cup to slosh on her dress. "I'm so sorry, Toshiro. I couldn't help but falling in love with you again."

Toshiro froze. _What did she say?_ _She was in love with me?_

Rukia put the cup on the coffee table between them. "I just wanted you to know, so I'll leave now."

Toshiro lowered his head and smirked. Before Rukia could move, Toshiro leaped across the coffee table and pinned Rukia to the couch. He buried his face in the crook of her neck.

"T-Toshiro?" Rukia stuttered.

"Do you really expect me to let you go now with that confession?" Toshiro growled.

Rukia blushed. "I don't understand."

Toshiro pulled back and stared into the beautiful amethyst eyes before him. Rukia dropped her gaze, but Toshiro gently grabbed her chin. Rukia met his eyes a little fearfully.

"Of course you don't," Toshiro stated, still smirking. "I don't know how you came up with all these assumptions, but one thing remains true for me."

Rukia's furrowed a bit. "What?"

"Rukia, I love you."

Rukia's eyes widened. She quickly looked away. "You don't need to lie, Toshiro. I'm already hurt enough."

Toshiro tilted his head back in irritation. "Rukia."

Rukia looked back only to find a pair of warm, soft lips on hers. Her eyes slowly closed as she felt Toshiro place a hand on her cheek. Her hands reached and grabbed Toshiro's dress shirt, probably wrinkling the fabric in the process.

Toshiro deepened their kiss, relishing in her taste. He teasingly bit her bottom lip, eliciting a gasp from her. Toshiro leaned back. He eyed Rukia whose face was flushed. Her chest visibly rose up and down with every breath she took.

"I love you Rukia," Toshiro said as he leaned closer to her, wrapping his arms around her body.

"To-"

"I love you so much," Toshiro continued. "It's hard to breathe when you aren't with me."

Rukia felt more tears welling in her eyes. "I…"

Toshiro placed both hands on either side of Rukia's head and pressed their foreheads against one another. "Shh, no, you don't have to say it right now. I'm okay, because I can see it in your eyes." He then proceeded to kiss away her tears. He planted a light kiss on her nose before landing another one on her lips.

His butterfly kisses were beginning to drive Rukia insane. She wrapped her hands around Toshiro's neck and kissed him hard. Her eyes were closed tightly as she kissed him.

She pulled away and leaned her head against Toshiro's chest, his arms securely around her. _I love you. I think I've always loved you._

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><p>Hey! Thanks for reading!<p>

Leave a review please!

As I've stated before, I think I'll be ending this story soon!

So, thank you!

'Til next time, my lovelies!

-Shiragiku


	13. Chapter 13 FINAL CHAPTER

I Promise You

Chapter 13

Copyright Disclaimer Under Section 107 of the Copyright Act 1976, allowance is made for "fair use" for purposes such as criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching, scholarship, and research. Fair use is a use permitted by copyright statute that might otherwise be infringing. Non-profit, educational or personal use tips the balance in favor of fair use.

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><p>Kahnartis - Thank you and Thank you! As you can see, I capitalized both "Thanks!"<p>

Hitsugaya Fiore-chan - Here's your continuation! Thanks for the review!

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><p>WARNING! Last chappy ahead and it's my longest one! Thank you everyone for reading!<p>

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><p><em>6 months later.<em>

_Toshiro made, yes made, Rukia move in with him three months after the two decided to try having a relationship. Rukia had no qualms about it though she pretended to at the time, calling Toshiro a possessive lover. Toshiro sent Momo back to his headquarters, saying that he would explain to the board of why he was not returning_.

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><p>Rukia jumped down the last few steps of the staircase before running down the hallway and bursting into the kitchen. She paid no mind to her loud footsteps. She hopped over to Toshiro who was sitting at the dining table before planting herself in his lap and placing a kiss on his lips. Toshiro smirked and raised an eyebrow.<p>

"Mind telling me why you're so hyper on a Saturday morning?" Toshiro asked while wrapping an arm around Rukia and pulling her closer. "You usually sleep in 'til ten."

Rukia playfully slapped Toshiro's shoulder before pouting. "I checked my email this morning and…" Rukia left out the rest of her sentence as she picked up a slice of toast off of Toshiro's plate. She took a small bite out of it and then gave a cheeky smile to Toshiro.

He rolled his eyes. "And? Did you get the promotion, my _dearest_?" He took the piece of toast from Rukia's hand. "Or are you asking me to feed you the rest of this toast."

Rukia moved to straddle Toshiro as she threw her arms over Toshiro's shoulder. She played with his hair as she said, "Yes, I got the promotion and yes, you should feed me the rest of the toast." Rukia smirked down at Toshiro.

He ripped off a small piece of toast before putting the rest on the plate behind Rukia. Toshiro put the piece of toast in his mouth before wrapping both his arms securely around Rukia's waist. He nodded his head, his eyes staring into her amethyst ones.

Rukia took the hint and teasingly bit the very edge of the piece of toast. She smiled and was about to pull away when Toshiro chomped down on the rest of the toast so that their lips would meet. Shocked, Rukia rewarded Toshiro with a chaste kiss before sitting back.

"Aren't you the sly one," Rukia commented.

"And aren't you a tease," Toshiro jokingly shot back.

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><p>"Rukia, I'm leaving now!" Toshiro yelled down the hallway as he put on his shoes.<p>

The two had finished up their little morning routine and Toshiro was on his way to finish some business. He was the type of guy that preferred his lover to stay home and relax, but Rukia insisted on working. He inwardly smirked when thinking of the expression that Byakuya had made when he found out the two were dating.

"Okay, I'll just be here, doing nothing," Rukia called back while laughing a little.

Toshiro smiled. "I love you!" he shouted a bit quieter than before. He loved saying those words and watching how they flustered his Rukia.

"I-I love you too."

Toshiro, satisfied with Rukia's reply, opened the door and left their apartment.

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><p>"This is perfect, thank you."<p>

Toshiro smiled sincerely as he fingered the silver band between his hands. A medium-sized diamond was surrounded by swirls of smaller diamonds, each one getting smaller as it moved out. The smaller diamonds were brilliant white and twinkled with every movement Toshiro made. He looked inside the band and frowned at the blankness.

He held out the ring to the clerk and pointed to the inside of the band. "Can I have something engraved here?"

The clerk nodded. He took the ring back from Toshiro. "What would you like it to say?"

Toshiro smiled and leaned in closer to the clerk before whispering his answer. He straightened up afterwards. "So how long do you expect this to take?" Toshiro looked down at his left wrist to check the time. "I'm sorry, but I need this in about two hours."

"No, it'll be done in about forty-five minutes, so no worries," the clerk replied with a warm smile.

"Thank you, I'll wait 'til it's done then."

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><p>Rukia was wiping down the kitchen counters she heard her phone buzz. She wiped her brow before dropping the towel and heading over to her phone. She picked it up and smiled when the Toshiro's name popped up on the screen.<p>

_To: My Beautiful Love_

_I'm getting off of work soon. Can you meet me at the Kisuke Park? I'll be waiting near the lake for you._

_-Your Toshiro_

_Sent: _

_Sat. 11:30 AM_

Rukia's smile widened as she read the text. "I wonder what you're planning, Toshiro," she muttered out loud as she sent a quick reply back. Rukia took a step towards the kitchen once again, but a sudden realization hit her. _Is this a date? _Her eyes widened as she quickly changed her path to her room. _I need to get ready!_

She ran upstairs with glee and started sliding around on the wooden floors while laughing. Going on dates with Toshiro also sent her heart into a flutter. She's never gotten rid of this bubbly feeling. Rukia threw open the door to hers and Toshiro's room and skipped to the closet. They were going to a park so she decided to dress casually.

Her hands ran over the many tops that were hanging in the closet before settling on a shimmering gold V-neck. The neckline was ruffled slightly on the edges and the golden material was soft and sleek. Rukia pulled the shirt off the rack and popped her head out of the closet to throw it on the bed. She moved back into the closet and picked out a pair of white jeans and then quickly exited back to the room.

Rukai placed her hands on her hips before breathing out, "Perfect."

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><p>Toshiro watched as the clerk skillfully tied a bow around the small black velvet box that held the ring he picked out. The clerk slowly pulled his hands away after finishing the bow and took a few moments to admire his handy work. He then gently picked it up before holding it out to Toshiro.<p>

"Your lady will be very happy," he said softly.

Toshiro nodded as he took the box and placed it in his inside pocket.

He waved good-bye to the clerk as he exited out the door. Silver sunlight blinded him for a quick second as Toshiro covered his eyes to let them slowly adjust. He shook his head a little, but stopped when he heard a desperate scream. His gaze shot up to find a woman crying and screaming at something…at her little girl in the middle of the street.

The little girl had stopped to pick up a penny on the street and was currently admiring it, seeming to be oblivious to all around her. She finally looked up and smiled at her mother. Toshiro's world slowed down once he saw a car speeding towards the little girl. He frowned in his mind as he spotted the driver who was on her phone texting.

"Please! Meika! Meika come to Mama!"

Toshiro felt his feet move and he found himself suddenly sprinting to the little girl. He glanced at the woman across the street and watched for a split second of how her expression changed to shocked horror and a hint of relief. He could hear the screech of tires and the faint smell of burning rubber. The girl looked over her shoulder curiously as Toshiro picked her up under her arms and then quickly threw her out of harm's way. The little girl let out a yelp and a high-pitched scream filled the late morning air before Toshiro felt immense pain shoot through his entire body and then a cold darkness overtake him.

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><p>Rukia was slipping on her shoes when her phone began to ring. She looked up a bit confused, not recognizing the ringtone. Rukia reached for her purse and pulled out the phone to see an unknown number. Her gut seemed to tug at her instincts and she slowly answered the phone.<p>

"Hello?"

"Hello, Ms. Kuchiki, right?" a male voice replied.

"Yes, that is me. Is there something wrong?" Rukia asked as she leaned against the wall and curled up her knees. "May I know who I am speaking to?" Rukia slightly furrowed her brows as she looked at the clock hanging on the wall.

"This is Officer Takaba," Takaba answered. "And I'm sorry I have to be the one to tell you this."

Rukia felt her heart begin to drop. Those words were like daggers to her soul. She remained quiet, waiting for what the officer had to say.

"Your boyfriend, Toshiro Hitsugaya, has passed."

Rukia felt her heart stop and her phone slipped from her hands, falling with a loud thunk on the floor. She began gasping and her hands were clutched to her chest. _Toshiro, Toshiro, Toshiro. _

"Ms. Kuchiki? Ms. Kuchiki, are you still there? Ms. Kuchiki!"

Rukia's mind was blank, but she managed to pick up her phone and in a hoarse voice asked, "Where is he?"

"Excuse me?"

"Toshiro! Where is he?" Rukia yelled into the phone as tears began to prick her eyes.

"Kisuke Hospital, Ms. Kuchiki."

Rukia hung up after hearing those words and ran to the door, swinging it open and dashing out. Tears began to stream down her face and she wiped them away with her arm. She stopped in front of the elevator and repeatedly pressed the "down" button.

"Come on! Come on! Open dammit!"

She punched the button once more before hearing a relieving ding. The doors opened, revealing the elevator to be thankfully empty. She jumped in before pressing the lobby button. _Kisuke hospital, _Rukia thought slowly in her jumbled up mind, _It's not that far. I can run there._

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><p>Toshiro opened his eyes and then blinked them a couple of times. He looked up to see a canopy of leaves above him. He could hear the chirping of birds fill the air and he found himself suddenly confused.<p>

"You're awake."

Toshiro jolted up right, scattering the leaves that had fallen on him. He whipped around in all directions trying to locate the voice he heard. Finally a rustling of the bushes caught his attention.

A tall male appeared before Toshiro. As he stepped into the sunlight, Toshiro saw large white wings on either side of him. His slightly long brown hair covered the tops of his brilliant green eyes. He tilted his head and smiled at Toshiro.

"Where am I?" Toshiro asked. His mind raced to put together the events from before, but all he could remember was a scream and pain.

"You're still on Earth," the angel answered. He put a hand to his chin before chuckling a little. "I'm Matsuko by the way."

Toshiro arched his brow. "I'm dead?" For some reason, saying those words didn't bring any surprise to him.

"Yes, but I have orders to let you see your loved one before you go," replied Matsuko. He shook his head. "I've never had my superior tell me this before."

Toshiro slowly nodded. _That means Rukia is not taking this well. _He grimaced at his thoughts of Rukia struggling. "Well I agree with your superior," Toshiro stated. He caught the gaze of the angel. "I need to see her."

Matsuko merely nodded before turning and slicing at the air. A portal opened and he turned around to face Toshiro. "After you."

Toshiro stood up and confidently walked through the portal. Matsuko followed after, the portal closing behind them. Toshiro's body rippled uncomfortably before a cold wind shocked his senses. He blinked rapidly and looked around to see darkness. He looked around, letting his eyes adjust to the lack of light before spotting a dimly lit light post far off in the distance. The smell of water drafted up his nose accompanied by the soft swooshes of waves. His gaze turned slowly up to greet the moon that was shining its soft light. He finally recognized the park as the one he and Rukia first had their "date." This was the lake he had swum in. Toshiro jolted when he felt a hand on his shoulder.

"She's right there," Matsuko whispered softly, though no living mortal could hear him. "On the bench by the shore."

Toshiro looked to where Matsuko described and held in his breath once catching the figure of his love. He looked at Matsuko for silent permission to move that was readily granted. Matsuko hung back and watched as Toshiro neared Rukia.

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><p>Rukia's blank gaze stared pointlessly out at the lakes small waves. She sat there motionlessly with her knees pressed against her chest. A black pea coat was all that was keeping her from the biting cold. Rukia blinked, the dullness never leaving her eyes.<p>

Toshiro's heart clenched itself in agony. His Rukia was so pale, paler than before. Her beautiful amethyst eyes had lost their brilliant shine and he could tell that under her clothing she was unnaturally thin. He stood behind her and gently brushed some hair behind her ear. He furrowed his brow. _She's so frail._

Rukia jerked and quickly looked behind her. She shook her head. _Guess I'm losing my sanity now._ Rukia found herself chuckling dryly as she resumed her original position.

Toshiro warmed hearing Rukia's voice. He knew that what he heard were her thoughts. _No, Rukia, you are not going crazy, my love._ He watched in surprise as Rukia reacted to his thought.

"T-Toshiro?" Rukia cried out. Tears gathered at the corners of her eyes, but she had cried too many times and there were simply not enough tears to overfill them. "Ah, what am I doing." She wrapped her arms around her knees and hugged them tightly. "I just miss you so much."

Toshiro couldn't help it. He wrapped his arms around Rukia from behind and buried his face in the crook of her neck. She felt like sweet home. _I miss you too. _

Rukia let out a gasp. "Toshiro? Is that you?" She found herself believing that this was all a dream. Yet the presence surrounding her was oh so familiar.

_Yes it's me. No this is not a dream. _Toshiro paused before tightening his arms a bit. _I am worried about you, Rukia. _

A corner of Rukia's mouth lifted a bit as she grimaced. She was delusional. Absolutely out of it. However, if she could be with Toshiro in her crazy mind, she didn't mind at all. "Don't worry about me. Please."

_Can you see me?_ Toshiro asked. He moved to look at Rukia as she looked around, never meeting his eyes and seeing right through him. His heart dropped in pain. _I'm sorry, but I need to tell you something._

Rukia nodded. Some light beginning to come back to her eyes. "Anything."

Toshiro smiled. _I know you have your ring. Can you pull it out? _He watched as Rukia nodded reluctantly before letting her go and walking around the bench to sit next to her. _I'm sitting right next to you._

Rukia looked beside her to see nothing, but trusted that in some way, Toshiro was there. She reached into her coat and pulled out the box containing the ring. The ribbon was still wound around it. "Let me guess, you want me to open it," Rukia stated, trying to joke a little. Her face was so unused to happy expressions.

Toshiro laughed a little. _Yes, please do. _

Rukia pulled at the end of the ribbon, undoing it and letting the fabric slip off the box. Her hands were trembling as she carefully and slowly began to open the lid. She felt pressure on her thigh and took it as Toshiro encouraging her.

_There's nothing to be afraid of. _

Rukia opened the box and let her mouth fall open. The diamonds glittered in the moonlight. There shine was blaring or too bright. It was soft and pleasing to the eye.

_Pick it up please, Rukia. It's yours._

Rukia's eyes were glued on the piece of metal that would have bound her with Toshiro. It was cold, but quickly warmed in between her fingers. She choked up. "It's amazing."

Toshiro looked over Rukia to see Matsuko. He understood what the angel was trying to express. He turned back to Rukia. _Rukia, look inside the ring. I wrote something for you._

Rukia's eyes widened. She held the ring close to her eyes and turned it around. She stopped breathing. Rukia laughed to herself, thinking that no matter what, she would never find another quite like Toshiro.

"I remember, this was the last thing you promised me," Rukia whispered softly. She fingered the ring before holding it close to her heart.

_Yes, and I've never broken it. I still promise to love you and only you._ Toshiro spoke in a rushed way. He looked up to see Matsuko urgently waving to him. It was a bit comical. _Rukia, I have to go._

Rukia looked sad but she nodded her head understandingly. "I know." She turned to face Toshiro's general direction. "I want to promise you something."

_Anything._

"I promise that until the day I die, you will be the only one to have my heart," Rukia said while blushing. She closed her eyes for a moment before opening them again. Her eyes were bright. "So please wait for me."

Toshiro broke into a smile as joy filled him. He reached out and gently cupped Rukia's cheek. He leaned forward and kissed Rukia. He felt Rukia try to respond and smiled. Pulling back he caressed Rukia's face. _I will. I promise that I'll always be waiting for you. _He stood up, slowly pulling his hand away. _Rukia, I will you see you again._

Rukia nodded, a surge of tears slowly leaving wet trails on her face. She hurriedly wiped at them and smiled brightly. "I'll see you again too!"

Toshiro reluctantly walked away from Rukia to Matsuko. He turned to look one last time at Rukia. "I'm ready."

Matsuko nodded and blinding light filled his vision.

_I promise you._

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><p>Ahhhhhhh! Finally finished. I had this 95% percent done this past week, but I got hit by a severe case of writer's block and well...yeah. I've recovered so if you were worried...hahaha...JK. Though I did get the writer's block.<p>

I don't think it's my best, but I'm satisfied. I hope you all enjoyed this story of mine and that the ending wasn't disappointing!

Thank you again everyone for your support!

For the last time (for this story) adieu!

-Shiragiku


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